


Love Twice

by 0roro_Munr0e



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cheating, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-04
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2018-08-12 22:18:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 52,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7951324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0roro_Munr0e/pseuds/0roro_Munr0e
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cloud has had no such luck in maintaining a relationship for longer than a month. Tifa suggests using a dating app to increase his chances of finding someone good for him. Cloud reluctantly agrees and later meets Zack, who is everything he wants in a boyfriend. However, Cloud is also secretly dating another man who fulfills his sexual needs. Will Cloud eventually choose between pleasure, or romance? [Eventual AGSZC]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever multi-chap fic. I've had it in my bucket of unfinished fics/ideas for about three years, and decided to edit and upload it on here. This story will be fast-paced because I don’t think I can type up a slow-build story right now due to grad school. I want to write this fic as a way to de-stress from it all. I will include new warnings and pairings as I update. I’m pretty sure the first chapter will be long in order to introduce the main cast, and the following chapters will be shorter, unless I feel like an actual writer and type up something good. Enjoy and I hope you all like it. I had fun typing this!

Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.

For the past thirty minutes, that was all Cloud had been doing on his lunchbreak.

Swipe.

It shouldn’t even occupy his time like this, yet here he was swiping his thumb across his cellphone screen. His barely eaten lunch had been mostly forgotten.

Swipe.

It all began when he and his then-girlfriend, Tifa, moved to Midgar about five years ago to experience the city life. Their hometown, Nibelheim, was exactly the type of backwater town one saw in the movies. Tumbleweeds rolled through the town. The population was less than a thousand. People took over their parents’ shops when they became of age. Neighbors tended to marry each other when they probably shared the same grandfather…

But Cloud and Tifa left the mundane life and attended college. They managed to get a cheap, one-bedroom apartment together right before their second year of college. Both of them worked menial jobs to help pay for rent and other bills.

However, during their junior year, Tifa confessed that she had been seeing a girl and came out to Cloud as being a lesbian. Ironically, Cloud had also been fooling around with his male classmates and, at the same time, came out to Tifa as being gay. The two agreed to just stay friends and continued to live together until they afforded their own place. As of now, they moved to a slightly nicer two-bedroom apartment for more privacy.

Although Tifa had been dating her girlfriend even before she came out to him, Cloud struggled with finding a decent boyfriend. It had been two and a half years since he and Tifa stopped dating and he had more partners than the average number of weeks they had been with him.

It wasn’t because he’s picky about his boyfriends, or anything. Actually, he felt his standards to be lower than most people’s preferences. But lately it seemed that the guys he had been with were only after sex and their selfish needs. Cloud had been known to give more than take, and his dates exploited him multiple times. The last guy he dated cheated him out of a couple hundred gil, claiming that it was for school when really it was to pay for other dates’ meals.

Tifa advised Cloud to be firmer towards his dates and rev up his standards, but each time he said he would try, he always ended up being single in a short amount of time. It pained Tifa to see him go from guy to guy, only to be disappointed in the end. So she asked her friends for help and they told her about a dating app.

“It’s called Love Twice. Instead of actually having to waste your time going on that first date to see if you guys have anything in common, you can just see their interests right here,” she tapped on the screen of her cellphone. “All you have to do is swipe to the right to say that you like them, and swipe left if you don’t like them. And if both of you like each other’s profiles, it’s a match! Simple, no?”

“It’s…” Cloud glanced down at Tifa’s cellphone. He didn’t exactly have the right words to express how he felt about this whole gig.

Tifa snorted, “Cloud, you’re an engineer. This shouldn’t be a shock to you.”

“It’s not that!” he raised his voice. “I just feel like I’m doing online shopping.”

“Ex-act-ly!” she enunciated while throwing her hands in the air.

“But that sounds kinda wrong,” he lifted his head to stare at her. “Won’t I hurt their feelings if I swipe no?”

“They won’t know if you viewed their profile. But the message would get across to them if they liked you and never got a match.”

He remained silent. His eyes glanced at the random person’s profile. The black-haired girl looked cute in the photo. She wore a black tank top, showing off her cleavage, and shorts that stopped at the upper part of her thighs. She was standing next to the statue of President Shinra and made the thumbs-up gesture. Underneath her photo stated that she was a political science major at University of Midgar.

Cloud tilted his head to the side and pondered over Tifa’s words, referencing to this girl’s profile. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he at least took a shot. And if he found it boring, he could delete the app and go back to the old fashioned way. However, with this app, he could pick and choose which person shared similar interests with him, which could later be a topic over dinner. It would beat having awkward silences at the dinner table; and goddess knows that he has had plenty of them. “Alright. I’ll download the app and go from there.”

And that was how he walked right into this strange world.

With a frown, he blindly reached for his soda and searched for the straw with his mouth, not caring if he looked like a fish out of water. His eyes remained glued to his phone as his thumb made a line from right to left on his cellphone. When his mouth finally made contact with his straw, he sucked and tasted the sugary beverage on his tongue. 

“I’m actually eighteen but my profile says fifteen?” he read aloud with a confused expression.

What Tifa also told him was that the app linked to his ShinraConnect profile. There’s no way someone would falsify their age on ShinraConnect when most people befriended their relatives and old classmates on there. Like Tifa, this kid could be here to make friends, or… He shook his head. That’s none of his business.

Swipe.

“I’m looking for a Dom to satisfy by sub needs…” his eyes widened at the suggestive photo presented in front of him. It was a short-haired blond guy holding what looked to be a whip in his mouth. He was naked from the waist up and he faced the camera while kneeling. What’s funny was that Cloud found him to be slightly attractive, but these interests were way out of his league. The app barely had any rules for crowd control so it’s not like he could report him. Even so, the guy wasn’t blatantly naked or had anything offensive on his pictures—just really, really, kinky shit…

Not his thing. Swipe.

Cloud sat his soda back on the table and picked up one of his fries. So far, he hadn’t found anyone remotely interesting. There had been a couple of people who passed all of his likes until he saw a random interest that was a deal-breaker for him.

“What is up with these people and drugs?” he muttered to himself and popped the fry in his mouth.

About sixty percent of the people he viewed on this app talked about finding smoking buddies to get high with. Cloud wasn’t into that lifestyle, and even after he tried it once, he vowed to never get in a situation where he could be peer-pressured into doing something that would make him lose control. One minute he laughed and talked; the next, he broke every traffic law written in Midgar’s drivers’ handbook.

He cringed. Nope.

Swipe.

“Not a lot of gay people on here,” he sighed and placed a couple more fries in his mouth. They could be hiding their sexuality, but he was told by a friend that homosexuality is extremely common in Midgar. Yet most of these profiles haven’t explicitly stated a desire for the same sex. Cloud had picked up on a couple of hints – such as two blue-clad emojis smiling next to each other, or rainbow emojis that followed the description about the person. He found one such profile and swiped it to the right.

The second he lifted his thumb away from the screen, the app displayed that he received a match. Curious, Cloud re-read the profile again. It was some twenty-five-year-old named Trent. He didn’t have anything that was mentioned about where he worked or what school he attended, but his description was pretty basic.

The blond also received a message from the guy.

_Hey._

Cloud was grateful that he didn’t have soda in his mouth or else he would have choked. That was really fucking fast. Perhaps this guy was currently on his phone too?

 _Hey!_ He sent back.

No more than a minute later, the guy replied, _Whatcha up to?_

_On lunch break. You?_

_Bored…_

Cloud wrinkled his nose. Okay... _Aww! It’ll get better!_

It took longer this time for the guy to respond. At first, Cloud thought he also bored him, but the message that was sent made his eye twitch.

_I’m lonely._

Yesterday, he received a similar message from some guy who was out looking for a booty call. At first, it didn’t register to Cloud that that was the ulterior motive. But it soon became known that sex was really what the guy was after. And today, it looked like another person was horny rather than lonely. He knew exactly where the conversation was headed. Cloud had his fair share of sexual escapades in the past, but he wouldn't use this app _strictly_ for sex.

With a snort, the young blond typed, _You should check out Honeybee Inn. I’m sure they will give you more attention than I ever will._ He didn’t even wait for a reply as he commanded the app to un-match him with this Trent person.

Godsdammit, at least allow one date before going to bed together!

With a huff, Cloud finished the rest of his fries. He wasn’t in the mood to eat the remainder of his burger. He noticed that he had about fifteen minutes left before he needed to be at his desk. He balled up the half-eaten burger in its wrapper and set it aside on the tray. Okay, a few more and he’s done for now.

The remainder of his lunch period was spent swiping left at people’s profiles. There were a few that he actually liked, so hopefully they would match up with him at some point during the week. But right as he was about to leave the app, a face on the screen caught his eye.

Rather, the man’s eyes were what caught his attention.

The most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen stared back at him. And a dazzling smile, along with a handsome face just intensified how utterly perfect this man looked to him. His spiky black hair did not deter his boy-next-door look. Cloud was secretly grateful that someone else in this city could pull off a hairstyle similar to his. He felt his face flush as he continued to stare at this person’s profile. His name was Zack Fair; twenty three; and according to his description, he was in law school.

Cool.

Cloud continued reading his description. He grabbed his soda and finished it a loud slurp. But his mind was so preoccupied with Zack’s profile that he wasn’t really paying attention on how loud and obnoxious those sounds were.

_Heya! I’m Zack! New to this, so puleeze be gentle! I’m only interested in males (sorry ladies :( )._

Cloud thanked every god and goddess known to man before he continued to read the rest of the profile. He caught the disapproving eye of someone sitting at a table across from him and realized that he was still offensively slurping his drink. He smiled sheepishly and placed the cup back on the table.

_My interests include: video games, food, corny jokes, romantic getaways to Costa del Sol (hint hint to rich people reading this), and just having a good time! I warn you, I will fall asleep if you discuss books around me. I tend to avoid those unless they relate to my education. On a serious note, I will ignore you if you solicit sex or drugs to me during our chat. Please respect others if you want equal reciprocation._

This man was too good to be true. The blond didn’t even hesitate as his thumb pressed ‘Super Like’ after reading his description. Hopefully that option sent a notification to this Zack person. He sounded funny and charming. Cloud hadn’t even met the guy yet and he was already wondering what it would be like to go out on a date with him. Nope, too soon. Zack had to like him back first.

It was time to head back to the office. Cloud pocketed his phone and stood before gathering his trash. Unfortunately, he will have to wait until after work to check his phone. The company had a no-phone policy during work time, so the anxiety of wondering if Zack would like him back will plague him until he would be allowed to use his phone again. Ugh. What a drag.

  
_________________________________________________________

 

“Are you done yet?” came a whine from a man who was half sprawled on the counter and clad in a powder blue, button-down shirt with black slacks.

“Nope. I have about five more to do.

“At this rate I’ll be dead from starvation.”

“You can cook for yourself. Or you can order takeout.”

“It’s not the same as your cooking though.”

The man wearing a white, double-breasted jacket and black trousers briefly turned to regard the pouting man. He adjusted his white toque situated on top of his head. “Genesis, you are a grown man. You can take care of yourself.”

“I’m well aware of that, but your delectable dishes are what keep me alive, Angeal.” He slid off the counter and stepped closer to him, wrapping his arms around the man’s muscled waist and rested his cheek between thick shoulder blades. He took a whiff of Angeal’s scent, which was drowned by several different spices that clung to him each time he diligently worked on his meals. Genesis couldn’t get enough of Angeal smelling like food. He was already gorgeous enough to eat.

The chef patted one of the arms around his waist and went back to decorating his desserts. His class tomorrow will learn how to detect and identify different flavors within desserts and understand how these flavors can enhance one another when combined. Although he was pretty sure that the students would be more excited that he baked something for them.

“Can I at least taste-test one of your desserts as an appetizer?”

Angeal snorted, “No, because then I’ll have to make another one from scratch. These are all for my students.”

“Lucky bastards…” Genesis mumbled before releasing Angeal.

“You can either wait for me to finish, or leave and order take-out if you’re so damn hungry.”

The auburn-haired man glanced at the clock situated above the row of fridges. It was already nine o’ clock in the evening. “What about you?”

“I’ll be too tired to cook after this, so I was gonna order something to go at one of the restaurants down the street once I’m done.”

With a huff, Genesis reached for his phone. “Fine, I’ll go on and order something for both of us.” He typed in his code and the phone unlocked. “The usual at Langston’s, right?”

“You bet.”

They often ate at one of Angeal’s friend’s restaurant whenever he had to work late, or was too tired from his classes. Angeal had known Langston since the two were in culinary school together. And one of the biggest perks about dating a chef who was friends with another chef was that lots of discounts and freebies were included with the meals.

Genesis leaned against the counter next to Angeal as he ordered their meals to go. He hung up while letting out a growl of annoyance, “One fucking hour.”

“Oh good. That means our food won’t be cold when I’m done.”

“It’s a fucking Tuesday. Is there some kind of special going on that I don’t know about?” He checked some of his unread text messages.

The dark haired man sighed and placed the icing to the side. “I told you beforehand that I was going to be working late and that you should go on and eat without me.” He pushed the finished dessert far back with the others and moved onto the next one. “Did you not get that text?”

As soon as Angeal said that, Genesis saw the message Angeal had left him at twelve thirty six pm. Apparently, Genesis had already typed out a response but forgot to send it. Frowning, he went back to his list of other unread messages. “No.”

The chef caught his hesitation and sighed in disappointment. Genesis was always on his phone texting a bunch of people. And his multi-tasking attempts sucked. He often sent the wrong text to someone, or was halfway typing his thoughts before another text came through and distracted him. It never failed. “Just be patient, Gen. Don’t you have some papers to grade, or e-mails to type?”

With a low growl, he closed his message window and looked at the red number above the envelope icon. One hundred and three… Fuck this. “I could grade but I don’t feel like it.”

“Have the students even gotten back their first exam?”

“…No.”

“You should let them know how they’re performing in class or else it will increase their anxiety.”

“Do you know how much concentration I need to grade essays? Their writing skills are already atrocious as is. I have to grade their content and pray to the goddess that I can do it without having to take migraine-prevention medicine.”

He stopped and turned to stare at his companion. “Instead of making essay exams, why not use multiple choice, or whatever test style is quick to grade?”

“Because literature requires critical thinking; and essays are the best way to let me know if the students understood what the hell they read.”

Angeal waved in the air, “There you go. Now you have a reason to grade besides deadlines.”

With another huff, he opened a random app on his phone. “Fine. After dinner I’ll go back to grading.”

A curl of his lips was the reply from the chef as he went back to his desserts. On a typical day, he would give him about thirty minutes into the grading session before Genesis complained and scooted the papers aside to go do something else. Angeal needed to find a way to get him to complete his task. “Their midterms should be next week or so. If they don’t know their grades by then, they can easily complain to the department head; which is bad for you because you haven’t been a professor for long.”

Genesis paused at what he was doing, and looked at his lover. “They can do that?”

The black haired man nodded. “A friend of mine who was in college had a new professor who never graded their exams or assignments. And when he found out that his grade was a C without any explanation or warning, he filed a complaint to the department head which eventually got the professor fired. A lot of the other students voiced their complaints because the professor _never_ touched their assignments.” He glanced at him again. “I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.”

Was this a scare tactic or…? Genesis had only been an associate professor for one year. He taught three introductory courses last year, but there were so many students that he had teaching assistants who pretty much did all of the work for him. But this semester, he taught three upper level courses, each with a much smaller number of students. The department felt that he didn’t need an assistant for those classes, which annoyed him because he was so used to having someone else do all of the grading. Now, after listening to Angeal’s story, he thought about shoving his deterrence for grading aside and actually become more serious. “Okay. Whatever. You got me. I’ll be serious from now on.” He went back to his phone, opening up another app.

“I’ll hold you to that.”

He remained silent and closed the app. His eyes wandered to the nearby blue flower icon. It had been a long time since he used Love Twice. He should see if any new people are using it. As he waited for the app to load, he sat on top of the counter, briefly looking to the side to make sure he wasn’t disturbing the cakes.

The app loaded and his profile came to view. Genesis mentally laughed at how old the picture was on it. The app reflected his neglect of updating in the app store because he had long changed his profile picture on ShinraConnect, he had over ninety likes and super likes, and most of the people he messaged had long deleted their profiles. With a roll of his eyes, he figured life would be easier if he deleted his profile on Love Twice as well and made a new one.

It took a good fifteen minutes for everything to be fixed. Genesis was pleased with his short biography after editing it a couple of times. He checked to make sure nothing weird had changed with the app. When he saw that it was roughly the same since he last used it, he began swiping left at all of the profile pics. Eww, most of these men were super heterosexual, or sounded uncultured. After all these years, Love Twice still hadn’t made things gay friendly?

Then he realized that the age range was too young for him. Now that he was a professor, he had to be careful with who he dated. Although he was only thirty-two, the last thing he wanted to do (literally speaking) was encounter someone from his classroom. He barely remembered his students’ names, let alone faces. It was best to play it safe. Genesis entered the settings and scaled the age range at twenty-six to thirty-five. There. That should weed out the idiots. Usually people around his age or a little younger already had their lives together.

Usually.

His expectations were short-lived as he read through more questionable profiles.

_Looking for a sugar daddy!_

_Someone to get high with me!_

_Just want a fuck buddy._

_Looking for another male to surprise my wife._

He rolled his eyes at that. He and Angeal were also in an open relationship. Years ago, when Genesis first downloaded the app, he stated on his profile that he was in one and received quite a number of messages from people who assumed that he was only looking for one-time threesomes or moresomes. Even though they’ve participated in plenty of adult group activities, he and Angeal finally agreed to look for serious partners who were willing to partake in the polyamorous lifestyle.

The only successful attempt happened around six years ago.

A man named Clint, who worked for Shinra Company, really hit it off with Genesis. They dated around for a long time, and the sex was amazing. Finally Genesis introduced Clint to Angeal and the two also liked each other. They were a threesome for about two years.

Until Clint became jealous.

Angeal took interest in another man, and Clint felt that there were too many people in the relationship. He began to hate Angeal and tried to make Genesis take his side. Genesis was fine with Angeal’s boyfriend as long as communication remained important in the relationship. However, Clint wouldn’t accept that excuse. He broke it off with them, and they never heard from him again.

Genesis and Angeal decided to take a break after being in an open relationship, and spent more time with each other. But lately, Genesis desired another partner. He loved Angeal to death, and wondered if the man felt the same way about trying again. Yet this time, they would limit to only one person that both of them liked.

He’ll have to talk to Angeal later. Right now, Genesis was curious to see if anyone caught his attention after so long.

He continued swiping for a while, with only the sound of the fridges and deep freezers buzzing in the quiet kitchen. The professor was about to give up until he came across a peculiar profile. The picture was a close-up of a man whose eyes peeked from the top of a black book he didn’t recognize. Genesis could see that the unknown person had the prettiest green eyes he had ever seen; and what was even weirder was that his hair was silver colored.

Interesting.

The man only stated that his name was ‘S’ and he was a doctor in a private clinic. Genesis wondered what his ShinraConnect profile looked like because usually the descriptions were often… well… descriptive.

There wasn’t anything said about him, but a disclaimer:

_If you attempt to offer me illegal drugs in the message section, I will send you a list of all of my police connections along with the obituaries of previous patients who decided to have fun with these drugs. Don’t even think about soliciting sex to me._

Genesis couldn’t help but chuckle. Apparently this ‘S’ person has dealt with some weirdos as well. He probably had enough and just made his profile like this to test and see who had big enough balls to like his page.

The auburn-haired man accepted the challenge with a devious grin. He was sure the man would like him back once he saw his gorgeous face.

Super Like.

  
_____________________________________________________________

 

Zack let out a loud sigh as he closed the thick book and rested his head on the cover. He wore a black sweater, with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and dark blue jeans. His tennis shoes, that had seen better days, were off his feet underneath the table. He had been here so long that he had gotten too comfortable in his seat. He was in the main library hoarding all of the books related to human rights, current Midgar laws, and previous controversial cases. The books stacked high enough on the edge of the table that he had to lean back pretty far in his chair to peek around it.

His head was about to explode.

Two exams were coming up on Friday and he was about seventy percent prepared. It was already Wednesday night and he had spent his entire weekend and half of the week buried in old books. If he wasn’t in class, or at work, then he was at the library. He barely remembered how his apartment looked outside of his bedroom. At this rate, he should just camp out at the library. Maybe if he cleared a shelf he could sleep on it.

Digging in his pocket for his phone, he wondered if any of his friends sent him a text to check and see if he was still alive. He had to turn down a lot of outings with his buddies to focus on studying. They were a bit bummed out, but understood how strenuous law school could be.  
  
Zack held down the ‘on/off’ button, contemplating if he should have brought his charger since he hadn’t used his phone in quite a while. But he figured he should be fine given that he hadn’t listened to any music on it, or sent his usual thousand texts a day to his contacts. His screen finally glowed to life and it froze for a second before a wave of notifications appeared on it. He turned his phone off for two days and this was the result. Pressing the code to unlock his phone, he saw that he had thirty unread texts, fifty e-mails, and ten to fifteen notifications from each app. Shit.

Filtering through his texts, he replied to all of them in record time. He finally reached the last text and smiled at what it said.

_Make sure to get plenty of rest and eat a well-balanced meal. Hope to talk to you soon._

That’s right, he hadn’t spoken to him in almost three weeks, with their schedules being busy and all. He should probably at least let the guy know he was still alive and kicking.

_Just finished a book. I’m gonna kick ass on these exams!_

After Friday, he will definitely call him up for a night of drinks and relaxation.

He chose to check out his apps, quietly laughing at some of the posts he saw and shook his head at the captions. His friends were a mess – always causing trouble wherever they went. He warned them that they should be careful around him since he will have to abide by the law. They called him a ‘goody-two-shoes.’

  
About an hour later, he finally reached the other app, Love Twice, and saw that he had a few notifications. Sighing he hoped that it wasn’t more people wanting a one night stand. He made sure that his profile explicitly stated that he wasn’t down for that. He’d rather get to know a guy before he wanted to go any further.

The notifications stated that he had a couple of matches from people who were a tiny bit interesting. He re-read their profiles and let out a small “eh” sound as he didn’t bother to send them messages.

“Ohhhh… a _super_ like!” He rested his elbows on the table while holding his phone with both hands. His leg started bouncing underneath the table as he checked to see who it was.

His eyes widened at the person’s profile.

The cutest, sweetest-looking, adorable, spiky-haired blond guy with eyes bluer than his turned out to be the culprit.

“Oh my Shiva…” his grin was so wide that his face began to hurt.

Is there such a thing as love at first sight because he’s pretty sure that’s what was happening at this very moment.

His name was Cloud Strife and he was a twenty-two year old intern at Tuesti Industries.

Cute _and_ smart. He heard that it was hard to even get a call back from that place. They often worked closely with Shinra Company, which increased their prestige over the years. In fact, Tuesti was responsible for most of Midgar’s construction back in the day. So for a guy like Cloud to even hold an internship there must mean that he’s good at whatever he does. That’s definitely a plus in Zack’s books.

_Hi! I’m Cloud! I’m extremely new to this social media thing so please forgive me if I come off a bit strange. My interests include: engineering (particularly architectural), video games, music (if you like the band 7Neves please message me!), low-budget movies, and anything that can make me laugh. I enjoy having fun and I hope you do too!_

Oh man. Oh man. Oh man.

From that simple description alone, Zack knew that Cloud was perfect.

They even liked the same underground band. What were the chances of that?

Could he be a reward for studying so damn hard for the past week? If so then he should ace his exams to receive an even better reward such as setting up a date with him soon.

Super Like.

He closed the little ‘x’ on the notification that indicated they were matched. He immediately entered the message section, briefly considering what he should say. He looked at the ceiling, chewing on the corner of his lip and mentally going over different conversation starters. With a smirk, he eyed his phone and typed up what he thought would be a great way to get to know someone.

He pressed send and stared at the message again before closing out of the app and setting his phone on the table. If he looked at it any more, he would lose precious time studying. He already spent an hour checking every social media account he owned and conversing with his friends. It was a nice break from the boring old books, but he had to get back to work.

He picked up another book from one of the high stacks and opened to the table of contents. He searched for the subject of interest and turned to the exact page.  
Zack realized after about ten minutes that he had been reading the same first lines over and over because a certain blond had been occupying more of his thoughts.

Fuck.

  
_______________________________________________________________

 

“Now if there are no other questions, I’ll have you check out at the front desk.”

The lady continued to stare at her doctor, not registering what he just said. The man snapped his fingers in front of her face multiple times, causing her to jolt and blush. “Oh! Um… sorry…” she mumbled as she gathered her belongings, still embarrassed that she was caught staring at him.

With a tired sigh he rubbed the bridge of his nose and waited for his patient to leave. As soon as the door closed, he leaned back against his chair and thanked the gods that this day was over.

Sephiroth had been overbooked – again – despite his plea to the secretary to not ever repeat the issue. He will have to sit down and have a long talk with her because this drained him.

With his legs crossed and the clipboard in his lap, he folded the papers back to their proper place and wrote down a few more notes at the top of the page. He flipped back to another page and jotted down more information. He will have to keep a close eye on her blood tests because he suspects that something else was going on with her thyroid. He will have to refer her to a specialist who could give her detailed information to prevent these symptoms from turning into something serious.

Standing and pushing the chair to the side, he turned off the light and left the private room. He closed the door and walked down the hallways, turning left and right in the process, and opened another door to the records room. He saw that someone was already there, typing away on the keyboard.

“Aerith,” he greeted.

The young woman’s fingers hovered over the keyboard and turned around to smile at him. “Hello. Did you manage to survive her flirting?”

“Fortunately.” He kept the door halfway open and approached her chair. “Do you happen to be logged into the system?”

She turned back to the computer, nodding and typing again. “Yep.”

“I will close down the clinic for tonight while you enter in this information about her, deal?”

“Done.”

He gave her a small smile, even though her back was facing him. Ever since she had arrived at the clinic, things had been going a lot smoother here. He knew she would be a good addition to the medical team when he interviewed her. She was extremely personable and had been highly recommended by several of her instructors. Even her grades were impeccable. He was truly lucky to have her around. It’s a shame she didn’t attend medical school because she would have been a wonderful doctor.

Sephiroth walked around the clinic, making sure that everything was back in its proper place. He gave a thorough check in each of the private rooms to look for any biohazard wastes, or discarded trash. When he found none, he stepped into his office and removed his lab coat, tossing it on his desk and slumping into his chair. Now clad in his all-black dress shirt and pants, he tilted his chair back and closed his eyes for a moment, reveling in the silence. Only the sound of his clock can be heard ticking away on the wall. He angled his head to the side and glanced at it. Four hours longer than the posted business hours. That’s a record compared to the past two weeks, where he was stuck in his office until one o’ clock in the morning. Sighing and placing his hands on his face, he let out a tired sound and really considered taking the rest of the week off. He could push his patients onto Hojo and relax for a while.

Speaking of relax…

He opened the bottom drawer where his laptop bag was placed and pulled out his personal cellphone from one of the side pockets. He had two phones: one for work (which was in his pants pocket) and one for leisure. Hardly anyone knew his personal cell number and he preferred to keep it that way.

He crossed his leg over his knee and held his phone with both hands. His lock screen indicated that he received a text message from the person who happened to be on his mind. A small smile crept on his face and he entered his personal code to unlock his phone and read the full message.

“Hmph.” Sephiroth typed a reply, Then afterwards we should get together.

For a split second he thought he would receive a text right away, but realized that he was having too strong of wishful thinking. He closed out of the messaging screen and noticed that one of his apps had a number next to it. Gods, he completely forgot about that app.

With a sigh, he figured he could amuse himself before he went home for the evening. He loaded the app and waited for the notifications to elaborate the activity related to him. Sephiroth didn’t like anybody on this stupid social platform. The person who suggested it to him stated that it was a good way to meet new people. So far, it made the doctor hate people.

He had four super likes. Incredible. Even though he barely posted anything in his profile, there were people who just so happened to be curious about him.

The first person was rather unattractive. And he didn’t sound very exciting in the least bit.

Nope.

The second person was a wine distributor. His profile seemed remotely interesting, but at the same time, nothing really stood out to him. He reminded Sephiroth of the type of guy he would meet at a conference, and forget about once he was back at home. As shallow as it sounded, Sephiroth preferred his partners to be attractive, and have a personality trait that would grab his attention. Otherwise, he would become bored.

Next.

The third person was a pretty brunette. She was a high school mathematics teacher and enjoyed surfing at Costa del Sol. Sephiroth paused for a moment, and leaned forward to rest his head in his hand, his elbow placed close to the edge of his desk. The cellphone was now held in one hand as he ran his thumb over the screen to scroll down and read the entire profile. Honestly, he preferred men, but he wasn’t entirely put off by women. In fact, his last relationship was with a woman. However, his experience with her became… exhausting, so he decided to restrict himself to men until he was ready to start dating women again, if he wanted a woman again.

Oh well.

The fourth person made him freeze in place, as if a spell was cast on him.

The man had a haughty flair about him as he sat on an off-white couch holding a cup of tea, or coffee, (Sephiroth wasn’t sure, nor did it matter) in his lap. His clothes looked just as expensive as the couch he sat on. The sun peeking through the window behind him illuminated his short, auburn colored hair and emphasized his dark blue eyes. A smile that looked more like a smirk graced his androgynous face as he looked directly at the camera.

Sephiroth was transfixed.

Sitting up in his chair and once again holding his phone in both hands, the silver-haired man read that the person’s name was Genesis who was an assistant professor at University of Midgar. Scrolling further down the profile, it read:

_Educator. Passion for literature. Food connoisseur. If you wish to know more, swipe right. However, I am very meticulous when it comes to choosing my dates._

_When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end/ The goddess descends from the sky/ Wings of light and dark spread afar/ She guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting._

“LOVELESS…” Sephiroth said aloud. That quote came from the infamous story. He remembered reading it during his medical school days when a certain someone kept recommending it to him. It was a classic, and served as a great read outside of the medical books.

Genesis was… intriguing. Sephiroth couldn’t exactly describe it, but something pulled him into wanting to know more about this person. He also looked very familiar, but the doctor couldn’t put his finger on it at the moment. Genesis’s lack of detail in his profile (along with his appearance) was the main reason for the sudden interest. He wondered if the professor predicted this form of a reaction after viewing his profile. If so, he was very clever.

Super Like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys have probably figured out that Love Twice is a lot like Tinder. I was originally going to call the dating app Forget-Me-Not, but then I found that it was some video game in the Apple Store and decided against it. Love Twice didn’t come up in my searches as a legit app. HOWEVER, if it does appear as copyrighted material, I do not own, or want to profit off of it with this fic. 7Neves in this fic isn’t related to any IRL band. ‘Neves’ is ‘seven’ spelled backwards. If it’s a real word, it’s not my intent to make it into anything special. I just pulled the idea out of my ass. Again, I do not profit off of those names with this fic.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to go on and push this one out because I've edited it too many times. If I keep doing it, I'll delete it out of spite and regret it later. Again, I'll add new pairings in the tags. I think I'll place warnings in the chapter notes.  
> I'd like to thank a friend for giving me the courage to post this fic on AO3. I know my writing isn't the best, but I adore AGSZC so much and wanted to join in on the fandom.

            Thursday morning began with the blaring sound of the alarm. Cloud’s arm appeared from beneath the blanket, and he slammed his hand on the clock. He remained snuggled in his bed until he remembered to check his phone. Sitting up, he immediately reached for it on the nightstand and made a huge grin as he stared at the screen.

            Sometime last night, his phone died. Cloud tried to use it while it was still charging, but it overheated and warned him to give it a break. He had a feeling that divine intervention took pity on him from obsessing over Love Twice notifications for the past two days. He worried that Zack wasn’t interested in him when Wednesday afternoon rolled by and no new notifications regarding him appeared on his phone. Cloud kept telling himself that Zack was most likely busy with his studies as a law student. However, it didn’t stop him from habitually editing his own profile to sound cooler and hopefully grab the guy’s attention. He almost asked Tifa for her input but decided against it. She didn’t need to know that he was overreacting over a two-day crush.

            His anxiety went away like magic when he saw that he was matched with Zack, _and_ a message was sent by him. Cloud bounced a little on his bed in excitement.

            As the app loaded, he dropped his phone in his lap and stretched his arms over his head, yawning loudly. He looked down at the notification, which suggested that he reply back to Zack’s message. Cloud snorted at the advice, knowing very well that he intended to do so.

            _I like your profile! But before we go any further, which of the 7Neves songs do you like the most? ;)_

Hold on, did this mean Zack is a fan too? 

            Holy shit! In his years of dating, he had never met anyone who listened to the band. In the ‘what-music-do-you-like?’ conversations, his dates would give him blank stares when he mentioned 7Neves as his all-time favorite.

            Cloud must have spent twenty minutes trying to calm down. He typed and erased his response several times. He finally decided to simply name them and added: _So, what are yours?_

            Closing the app, he fell back against his bed and stared at the ceiling with a silly grin on his face. He shouldn’t be acting like this when he hardly knew Zack. He mentally planned their first date and imagined how it would go. Is Zack into the cliché dinner and a movie date? Or is he more into the attend-a-local-event-and-eat-all-the-junk-food-at-every-booth type guy? Either way, once he felt comfortable over their messages, he could move forward by setting up a date sometime soon (hopefully this weekend).

            Cloud glanced at his clock and realized he wasted a good thirty minutes outside of his morning routine. He got out of bed and prepared to get ready for work.

            When he walked into the kitchen after freshening up, he saw a wrapped plate of food sitting on the counter with a notecard next to it. He approached the counter and read the note.

            _This morning’s menu is simple: eggs benedict with hash browns. I’ve seasoned them with various spices. Let me know via text if I overdid it. It’s going to be a long day today, and I probably won’t be home until late tonight._

            Tifa always left messages next to the food she cooked if she left before they spoke. Cloud insisted that she didn’t have to fix a plate for him every morning, but she waved his suggestion away by saying that she enjoyed practicing her cooking skills. Her hard work was one of the reasons she currently attended culinary school.

            The plate still felt warm, which meant that it hadn’t been sitting out for long. He removed the plastic wrap that was damp from the food’s heat and took a bite of the eggs benedict. His eyes widened at how flavorful the eggs and ham tasted. Thank Gaia he lived with a future chef!

            Walking towards the couch and sitting on the cushion, he checked his phone again for any new messages from Zack. Slightly disappointed at his blank lock screen, he turned on the television and changed it to the news channel. The reporter talked about some new construction that was going to take place in sector five. Cloud knew more details because he shadowed an architect who was still developing the plans.

            He finished his breakfast and checked his phone again, eyes widening at the new message notification from Zack. Cloud wished Love Twice had notification sounds like most apps these days. Unlocking his phone, he immediately went to the messages and read his potential date’s reply:

            _Okay, how is it possible that we both have the same favorite songs from a hidden band? Lol!_

            The blond didn’t even hesitate as he typed, _Must be a sign that we’re meant to date each other!_ As soon as he pressed ‘send’ he regretted his words. He’s moving _way_ too fast! Zack probably thought he was desperate and lonely. Cloud tilted his head back until it bumped the couch, and let out a long sigh. “I’m so dumb!” he exclaimed. Thanks to his numerous dates in the past, he had gained a lot of experience with how to be a conversationalist. For some reason, all of his skills went out the window all because of some fucking mutual band favoritism!

            Lifting his phone high in front of him, he nervously waited for Zack’s response. Cloud wondered what his morning routine was like before he headed to campus. Did Zack take his showers at night, or in the morning? What kind of breakfast did he like? Cereal? Oatmeal? Bacon and eggs?

The blond noticed the reply and was so startled by it that he dropped his phone on his face.

            “Augh! FUCK!” he cursed as he covered his face with his hands. Good thing it landed on his forehead or else he would most likely have a bloody nose. Smartphones these days are almost the size of computer tablets; and his phone case was pretty bulky. Reaching for the phone with one hand while his other rubbed his forehead, he re-read Zack’s reply, making sure he wasn’t going crazy.

            _Oh good, because I find you attractive and I really want to know you better. Here’s my number so we can set up a date!_

            Okay, maybe he _wasn’t_ moving so fast if Zack had the same mindset…

            Cloud gave him his number and later checked the time and realized that he was going to be late for work. Cursing again, he jolted from the couch and ran back into his bedroom to finish getting dressed.

            In record time, he rushed into the living room donned in a plaid red shirt and tan-colored slacks. He found his black loafers on the rack next to the front door and quickly put them on. As he was tying the shoestrings, he noticed a plastic bag situated on the floor next to the couch. Frowning, he read the store name on the bag and recalled that Tifa went there yesterday to pick up her knife set for class. In fact, she said that she was required to bring it to class for today’s lesson.

            Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he sent her a text stating that she left her knife set and he would bring it to her on his lunchbreak. The school wasn’t far from Reeve’s HQ. Cloud could use the trip as an excuse to go to his favorite burger joint. HQ may have state-of-the-art amenities, but they really needed to work on whoever cooked their burgers.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

            Genesis sat at his desk reading over a student’s exam. His red ink pen furiously scribbled his comments next to the phrases he underlined. The student almost had the right idea, but not good enough for Genesis’s grading criteria.

            He had been dutifully fulfilling his promise to Angeal all of this morning before his afternoon class began. His Tuesdays and Thursdays were pretty lenient compared to the other days where he had to teach two classes: one first thing in the morning, and the other in late afternoon.

            Last night, over dinner, Genesis brought up Love Twice and informed his lover that he saw somebody interesting on the app. Angeal asked him to elaborate about this mysterious person, but Genesis didn’t say anymore because he was waiting on a response.

            “Are you okay with trying again?” the auburn haired man asked before taking a bite of his pork loin.

            Angeal shrugged his shoulders. “You already initiated it so…” he wasn’t exactly thrilled, but he wasn’t angry either.

            He spoke after he swallowed his food. “I found him intriguing and got ahead of myself.”

            “What’s his name?”

            “Just says ‘S’.”

            Drinking from his glass, he set it down on the table and frowned. “O-kay… How old is he?”

            “Our age.”

            “What’s his occupation?”

            “It only stated that he’s a doctor at a private clinic.”

_A professional_ , Angeal thought. “Huh. What does he look like?”

            “Green eyes and silver hair.” The professor idly poked at his roasted potatoes. “You know, I could just give you my phone and let you see for yourself.”

            The chef shook his head and held a hand to stop him. “Wait a minute. Did you just say _silver_ hair?”

            Genesis rolled his eyes and pulled out his phone from his pocket. He opened the app and was caught by surprise that ‘S’ super liked him back. “Well, we’re matched, but here’s his profile.” He handed the phone to Angeal from across the table.

            Angeal wiped his hands on his napkin and took the phone, eyebrows raised at the profile. He couldn’t fully distinguish how this man looked, and his description was only a warning. “You find this vague profile intriguing?” His blue eyes looked at his partner.

            Genesis shrugged his shoulders. “Angeal, you should know by now that I love a good mystery.”

            “In _books_ I get, but with people, I _don’t_ get,” he handed the phone back.

            Taking it and pocketing it once more, he made a mental note to send this man a message before bedtime. “Then call it a gut response that I will like him.”

            “I can’t believe you’re so sure about him without even communicating first.” Honestly, he could because one of Genesis’s vices was that he’s arrogant as hell.

            “Back to my main question,” he redirected as he placed his fork on the tablemat. “Are you okay with me looking for a third for us to date together?”

            Angeal detected something else in his tone, but couldn’t quite place it yet. Looking back at him, he said, “You only want it to be a threesome,” he didn’t need to make it a question because he already knew the answer.

            “In the past, we were too…”

            “Wild.”

            “Yeah, and our actual third turned out to be insecure when you found another person. I’m glad we spent more time with each other traditionally, but I want to open the door again for another man.” he rubbed his finger against his lukewarm glass of water. There were water droplets running down the side of the glass and he studied one in particular that slowly descended on his fingernail. “But this time, we limit to one to avoid any drama.”

            The dark-haired man finally figured out the other emotion in his tone: guilt. “Do you feel bad that you will be the one doing the searching instead of me?” He pushed his plate a little to the side and crossed his arms on the table.

            Genesis really didn’t want to admit it. “I don’t want you to think that I don’t trust you, because I do with my life. I just want to be the one to test the waters first and see how it goes.”

            Angeal didn’t know whether to feel grateful or annoyed. His past mistakes would haunt him for the rest of his life, but thanks to willingly looking for professional help, he became a lot better at limiting himself. In fact, their relationship with Clint went well until he told them about the guy he met. He almost regretted telling them, but knew that it would have made things worse if he didn’t. “What made you decide all of this so suddenly?”

            He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I desire another man in our bed. I miss the multiple partners I could chat and play with at the same time. I miss having someone near me when you are away on business. I miss watching the look on your face when you come home to me getting fucked by someone, and later join us. I miss the _variety_.” Angeal of all people should know that they weren’t the couple who were satisfied with the mundane traditional life.

            Resting his head on his crossed arms, the chef closed his eyes and took in Genesis’s words. To be fair, Angeal had secretly been daydreaming about finding another partner, but wasn’t sure if his urges haunted him again. He was positive that he wasn’t a one-man person when he first arrived in Midgar fifteen years ago. Although he was already with Genesis, they both agreed to live the polyamorous lifestyle to satisfy their needs. Of course, their needs were definitely met, but then things got way out of hand that eventually led them to seek therapy. They tried couple’s therapy for a while, but switched to private counseling when their issues became too different.

            Angeal was thankful for the break after Clint. He took more time to rekindle his rocky relationship with Genesis. His therapist even noticed the difference in his demeanor. Now he was worried that they were going to fall back into the shithole they were in when they first started it all. He raised his head and stared at Genesis, who met his gaze with caution.

            Maybe this can be a test from all the counseling they’ve received. And if it got worse, they could drop everything and go back to being a twosome.

            “Alright. Let’s try it,” Angeal said.

            Genesis narrowed his eyes. “You’re one hundred percent sure?”

            “Positive. And if your date is against our lifestyle, then I pick the person.”

            Genesis was jolted from his reverie when his computer pinged that he had a new email.

            He closed the message and figured he could read it later when he wasn’t cross eyed from grading. The student’s exam had been finished, and he placed it in the large pile of graded papers. Thank the goddess that he only had two more to go for this class. And when he completed the task, he would surprise the afternoon class with their first two exams. The other two classes will have to wait a little longer.

            Blue eyes lingered over his phone conveniently situated not far from the stack of ungraded papers. He checked his lock screen and saw that ‘S’ messaged him back. Last night, Genesis asked him if he wanted to go out for dinner on Saturday, but ‘S’ moved it to Sunday because he already had plans. The professor read the new message and smiled.

            _I look forward to it. Here is my number in case something comes up._

            Most of the time, Genesis would chat with the person on the app before setting up a date. But he sensed that ‘S’ wasn’t much of a conversationalist. And judging from his one to two sentence responses, the professor was positive that he will be the one doing the talking on their date. It was fine, but maybe if he poked and prodded for information, they could find a few commonalities.

            With a long sigh, he put his phone face down on his desk and went back to grading. Sunday needed to hurry up and get here.

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

            Cloud jogged down the sidewalk, excusing himself at the random people he bumped into along the way. He had an hour of lunch before he needed to be back at his desk. When he first became an intern at Tuesti Industries, he asked if they were lenient if he came back late because the restaurant took longer to fix his meal. The man who helped with his intake process smiled at him and shook his head. He didn’t elaborate any further.

            The blond never tested his answer in fear of losing his internship.

            When he eventually made it to the school, he stood in front of the doors and caught his breath, resting his hands on his knees while Tifa’s bag sat on the ground between his legs. Holy hell, that little jog wore him out! It’s time to apply for a gym membership. He used to be really active when he was in school because the university’s gym was badass. He thought about taking advantage of his alumni discount privileges and become a member again. Now that he stood here sweating and short of breath as if he ran a marathon, that membership sounded like a good idea.

            Picking up the bag, he pushed the door open and approached the front desk. He introduced himself and explained the situation.

            “Oh! Yes!” the brunette receptionist smiled and checked her notebook. “I received a message from Miss Lockhart to deliver it to the classroom with her instructor’s permission.” She handed him a clipboard and a sticker with the words, ‘VISITOR’ written across it. “Please sign your name here and put this sticker on.”

            Cloud did as told and handed the sign-in sheet back to her with a bright smile. “Thank you!”

            “Take the elevator to the third floor. Her classroom is the first one on the left!”

            A few minutes later, Cloud stood in front of the classroom and knocked on the door. He wished the room had a window where he could peek inside to make sure she was actually in there. He didn’t doubt the receptionist, it’s just precaution. He had been in a similar situation with a friend back in undergrad, whose class moved to a different location at the last minute because the projector didn’t work. Cloud felt dumb standing there for ten minutes knocking on the door and wiggling the handle. His friend didn’t respond to his texts until the next day.

            As he was about to knock again, the door opened and a tall man appeared in the doorway. Cloud first got an eyeful of a broad chest and wondered if the chef had to get his uniform tailored to fit his muscled physique. Cloud’s bright blue eyes wandered to his face, and he almost gasped at how handsome the man looked. Dark blue eyed regarded him curiously as they stood there staring at each other instead of speaking.

            Cloud finally opened his mouth and said, “H-hi. I’m here to deliver this—uh…” he held the plastic bag under his chin, “knife set to my roommate.” Why was his heart pounding in his chest?

            The chef remained unresponsive, only continued staring at him. Something dark passed across his face, but was quickly repressed by a bright smile. “You must be here for Tifa.”

            His voice was as deep as Cloud imagined. Before he could say anything, a familiar voice called his name.

            “Cloud! Oh my gosh, thank you so much!” Tifa squeezed past the man and stood a little in front of him.

            He handed the bag to her, returning the smile. “I’m just glad I got here in time.”

            She took it and said, “You’re such a good friend. I owe you one!” She drew him into a hug.

            He hugged her back, inhaling the spices that clung to her uniform. Gods, she always smelled so nice. Even if she wasn’t in class, she had some pleasant scent on her that made him feel nostalgic.

            When he moved back and glanced at the taller man, he caught the lingering traces of jealousy across his face.

            “Oh yeah, I’ll introduce you two!” Tifa exclaimed. “Mr. Hewley, this is my best friend and roommate, Cloud Strife,” she gestured to the blond. “Cloud, this is my instructor, Mr. Angeal Hewley,” she lightly patted her teacher on his arm.

            The two men shook hands, and Cloud winced at his firm grip. “Nice grip,” he said.

            “Likewise,” Angeal said with a nod.

            “I have to get back and make sure my partner didn’t chop her finger off,” Tifa interrupted with a wave of her hand. “See you later, Cloud!” She rushed back into the classroom.

            “I should go too so you can get back to teaching and stuff,” he tried to pull his hand back, but the chef’s grip was pretty fucking strong. Cloud suddenly wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to break the handshake first. “Uh.”

            Angeal was trying very hard not to give into his urges. Cloud fit his criteria of fuckable partners, and he didn’t know whether he should drag him to the nearest storage closet, or ask him out on a date. His conscious told him to do the latter to avoid any issues that would arise from picking the first option. Something in the back of his mind told him that this was still wrong to even consider making such a decision in the first place without Genesis’s approval. But maybe Cloud can be his backup in case the date with ‘S’ backfires. Then Angeal would tell Genesis about him and not feel as guilty. “Listen, if you’re interested, I was wondering if you would like to go out for dinner sometime?” he whispered.

            Cloud’s lips parted in shock. Out of the blue, Tifa’s instructor just asked him out on a date. He almost wanted to look around the floor for any cameras in case this turned out to be a big prank. But the expression on Angeal’s face and the fact that he was still holding onto his hand told him that he was very serious. Cloud wasn’t sure how to respond because he was still trying to plan his date with Zack. _Yet_ , he felt very eager to agree to Angeal’s request. The man was hot and smelled nice. Those two factors shouldn’t be the only reasons for his acceptance, but he figured why not date two men at once? If things went bad with one of them, he still had the other one to be with. He was often told by Tifa and his friends that he needed to have fun during his youth and not be so serious all the damn time. Dating two people at the same time probably wasn’t their intent, but he was still having fun. “I’d love to,” he replied with a small smile.

            Angeal released his hand and gave him his number, and Cloud sent him a text so the chef could log in his number when he finished with classes. They said their goodbyes and Cloud walked back towards the elevator silently screaming over the fact that he has _two_ men interested in him at the same time!

            Cloud was grinning from ear to ear as he left the building and walked a few blocks towards his favorite restaurant. He checked his watch and estimated that he had enough time to order his lunch and maybe return to HQ in time—if he ran as fast as he could once he got his box. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to eat at his desk after lunch hours, but he didn’t have any people to shadow today, nor were there any planned meetings.

            His smile disappearing, he increased his pace down the sidewalk until he arrived at the restaurant. It wasn’t as crowded as he expected, which was good because that could decrease his wait time. He told the host that he wanted to place a to-go order and the waiter directed him to the bar. A menu was given to him and he quickly glanced at it to see if anything new had arrived. When nothing changed, he asked for his usual double cheeseburger with extra pickles.

            Cloud was offered a glass of water while he waited and thanked the bartender for his courtesy. He relaxed on the barstool and watched the television displaying the sports channel. His favorite team wasn’t playing today, so he barely payed attention to the game. A male voice called out his name from behind him, causing him to jump and turn around, trying to see if it was anybody he recognized. And the person who shouted it was none other than…

            “Zack?!”

            “Sweet Shiva, it _is_ you!” Zack exclaimed before running around the empty tables near the bar and grabbing Cloud into a huge bear hug.

            The young engineer thought he was going to fall out of his seat from Zack’s strength. He smiled into the man’s shirt and returned the hug, embracing his warmth and faint traces of cologne.

            They stood there like that for a while until a girl started giggling, jolting them out of their moment. Zack released him and scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment, murmuring his apology. Cloud told him not to worry about it (he secretly missed hugging another man).

            “So are you here on your lunch break?” Zack asked as he eyed the blond’s attire, remembering that he was currently with Tuesti Industries. He was much cuter in person, not to say his profile picture misled him in any way. It just didn’t capture all of his good features.

            “Yeah, actually,” his eyes shamelessly roved over Zack’s body, admiring his physique in the black sweater over a white button-down shirt and grey slacks. He wasn’t as muscular as Angeal, but not as lean as himself. Cloud suspected that he played a sport during his undergrad days. “What about you?” He finally met Zack’s gaze and saw that quick flash of desire in those blue eyes of his.

            “I’m working here now!” he gestured to the folded uniform in the crook of his arm. “I just finished my orientation and plan on starting next Tuesday night.”

            Cloud’s eyes widened. “What? Seriously? This is my favorite place!”

            “Really?” he laughed. “Well I guess I’ll have to move the date elsewhere. I wanted to take you someplace different.”

            The fact that he was already thinking about their date made his heart speed up a little. “Yeah we need to set up a time for it.”

            “I have exams tomorrow and will want to catch up on sleep for the rest of the night. And Saturday I promised someone that we’d hang out since we haven’t spoken in almost a month. What about Sunday?”

            “Hmm,” Cloud checked his phone for any important meetings he had on Monday. He saw that Angeal had texted him back with, _Got it! Let’s meet up at the entrance to The Lakefront on Saturday._ Cloud almost had a heart attack because that area in sector seven was often populated by Midgar’s wealthiest people. Angeal better be the one paying because Cloud’s internship budget could probably only afford their bottled water. He mentally reminded himself to text the guy back after work. “Well, I have a meeting on Monday morning at nine, so I can’t be out too late.”

            “No, I totally get you. I have to be in class around that time. It’ll just be food and drinks so we can get to know each other better.”

            “Oh okay,” he nodded as he regarded Zack. “This can give us time to figure out why we both like the same band and songs.”

            Zack laughed again and shook his head. “I can’t let that go,” he was flipping out that his potential date messaged back with the same songs he loved to death. “I _must_ tell you the story as to how I found out about them.”

            Cloud snorted and covered his mouth for a moment. “It must be a good one given that you’re willing to share it with me.”

            “Oh yeah, and I have a billion stories to tell you, but I want you to talk as well—unless you aren’t much of a talker. Though, you strike me more as a screamer,” he wiggled his eyebrows.

            The blond tilted his head to the side, his eyes slightly lidded from the suggestive thoughts that were running through his head. “Would you like to find out?” he asked in a low voice as his gaze trailed from his face down his body.

            The tone in his voice caused Zack to freeze in place as if a spell was cast on him. He was just joking around to get a blush or a slap on the arm for being so flirty, but he did not expect Cloud to be an even _bigger_ flirt than him. It was fucking _hot_. And the way he looked at him made Zack wonder what kind of expressions he made during foreplay, or in the midst of an orgasm. Swallowing thickly, he willed his libido down, coughed and said in a slightly husky voice, “We can save that conversation for later.”

            Cloud could only give him a devious grin. His flirting skills always made men stop at their feet, as arrogant as that sounded. He wasn’t sure if it was his baby face, or words, or even both, but they worked and he always used it with his dates.

            He should try it on Angeal.

            _Cute and sexual; this is gonna be bad, but in a good way_. “So Sunday night at six-ish?” Zack needed to bring it back to their original subject or else he’d lose track of time.

            “Six is fine,” he straightened his posture and swept his bangs to the side. He is in dire need of a hair trim.

            “Okay. We’ll meet in front of the fountain in sector eight, not far from Loveless Avenue. You know where I’m talking about?”

            “Yeah, I’ve been on Loveless Avenue plenty of times,” he affirmed with a nod. Most of the best gay clubs were on that street.

            “Sweet! Then it’s a date!” He held his thumb out.

            Cloud made a bright smile. He couldn’t help but get super excited for their date in a few days. He needed to thank Tifa for introducing him to the app because Zack may be everything he had ever wanted.

            “Excuse me, sir! Your order is ready!” the bartender’s elevated voice interrupted them.

            “Ah, that’s my cue to go,” he tipped the bartender as he received his to-go bag. “I’ll see you at six on Sunday.” He hesitated for a moment, but figured why the hell not, and stood on the tips of his toes to kiss Zack on the cheek. “See ya,” he whispered before rushing out the door.

            Zack could only hold his hand against his cheek where Cloud kissed him and stared intently at the sway of his ass as he exited the restaurant. Correction: Cloud was fucking hotter than the _sun_ and Zack will find the test to keep his hands off of him to be worse than all of his exams that he had ever taken in his academic career combined.

            He hoped Sunday arrived by the time he thought about Cloud again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am well aware that cheating/two-timing is nothing what polyamory stands for. Also, if anyone has any tips on how to format fics using AO3, I'd like some. I cannot figure out how to get it to copy what I have on Microsoft Word. >:|


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNINGS: Heavy dialogue, yaoi (M/M), rating was changed (again) for obvious reasons. 
> 
> A/N: GET READY FOR SOME disappointment because this chapter will contain my first sex scene(s) I’ve ever written. Let me know if it was ok? Nicely? [prayer emoji]

            Saturday came and Cloud was all nerves. He barely slept because he kept imagining scenarios of his two dates this weekend. After meeting Zack the other day, Cloud pictured he was the type of guy who went out to bars and cheered for random teams he knew nothing about. He seemed more about having a good time with someone he liked. Angeal, on the other hand, struck him as the romantic type who would approach him with flowers and a date to some high end restaurant where the meals costed at least a hundred gil, and the water came from Leviathan’s piss. Since they were going to The Lakefront, Cloud now wondered if he would actually receive flowers.

            Speaking of his date with Angeal tonight, he completely forgot to ask if it was located in a place that implemented a formal dress code. Most of the restaurants at The Lakefront, if not all, have some strict dress code to weed out the poor from the wealthy (as if the prices weren’t enough to deter people who lived from paycheck to paycheck).

            Panicking, he fished for his phone from underneath his blanket and immediately texted him the question. He then sighed and glanced at his closet. Most of his clothes were t-shirts and ripped jeans. He had his work clothes, but only the same five dress shirts and three pairs of slacks. Until he found a decent paying job, or if Tuesti hired him, he will be shopping at thrift stores. But if Angeal’s dates will be near The Lakefront, or places similar to it, Cloud wasn’t sure if he would be able to keep up with the lifestyle.

            Just how much gil did chef instructors _make_?

            His phone pinged with a text reply and he almost didn’t want to read it because he sorta knew the answer to the question. Rolling his eyes, he figured might as well get it over with because he already agreed to the date in the first place. Staring at his screen, he read the text and was shocked to find that he was completely wrong.

_Ah, no. It’s one of the few restaurants where the dress code is casual. I happen to know the owner because we went to culinary school together._

            Holy fuck, what if Tifa fulfilled her dream of owning a restaurant and later became famous? Cloud could gloat that he knew her since they were kids and get friendship privileges.

            While he mentally planned his future free meals, another text followed:

            _But just to be on the safe side, try to wear something not *too* casual such as ripped jeans or t-shirts with graphic prints on them._

            Why the _fuck_ did he even say yes to Angeal?

            Letting out a frustrated sound, he fell back against the bed and stared at the ceiling. Well, he didn’t want to say no to the guy either. Angeal was fucking hot, and Cloud didn’t want to give up a chance that they could have a good relationship. Angeal was already leaving a nice impression on him with a fancy date. Cloud had _never_ been to The Lakefront, only heard about it through word-of-mouth and magazines that featured a business within that area. Many times, he desired to go there and explore with his friends and boyfriends, but all of them were uninterested in going, or felt too intimidated by the rich people populating the area.

            But this was his chance to finally see what it was like to walk with a handsome chef amongst the wealthy elite. There’s no way in _hell_ he would back out now.

            Rolling off his bed, Cloud stood and scratched his lower back as he walked towards his closet and went through his clothes to see if he had anything good he could put together for tonight. If he couldn’t find anything, he will have to shop for something decent.

            As he slid the hangers to the side, there was a knock on his door. He shouted, “yeah?” and the door opened.

            Tifa poked her head in his bedroom and stood a little more inside so she could see Cloud better as he dug through his closet. She was surprised to find that his room was a lot cleaner than it had been about two weeks ago. It was still messy and had a lot of empty chip bags lying in random places, but she could actually see the floor, and no six legged critters had been crawling into her bedroom lately. “Huh, you cleaned.”

            “Yeah, after your meltdown of finding that roach in your bed, I decided to finally care.”

            “Your mom would flip out if she saw your room like this,” she stepped over the random items on the floor and sat on his bed.

            “I know, but she’s not here and I’m free to do what I want,” he held up a shirt and sneered at it, hanging it back on the rack and going through more shirts.

            “Just make sure you keep your filth in this room. I refuse to have creepy crawlies anywhere else,” she absentmindedly glanced around the room.

            “Yes, mother.” Cloud could fucking care less where his dirty shirts landed. He believed part of the reason was because he had yet to have visitors who were worth cleaning up for.

            Hah, _that_ may change this weekend.

            “Are you planning your outfit for your date tomorrow?” Tifa asked.

            Cloud told Tifa about Zack, but left out Angeal because he wasn’t sure how she would take the news of him dating her instructor _and_ another man at the same time. “Yeah. Though I may have to go shopping,” he stood with one hand on his hip and the other scratching the top of his head.

            “Actually that was my original reason why I came in here. I’m going to the mall and wanted to know if you wanted to come with me,” she fell back against the bed and crossed one leg over the other and laced her fingers over her stomach. Her undershirt rose up towards underneath her breasts. “Wait, why do you need to go shopping? You have like a thousand t-shirts and jeans to choose from.”

            “Yeah, but…” he wanted to look nice for Angeal “… I feel like I should look nice for Zack.” He kicked the pile of clothes in the floor of the closet.

            “That’s a first. He must have made a good impression on you.”

            “Yes.”

            “Hmm, then what about that _nice blazer_ I got you for your birthday two years ago that you have yet to wear?” Brown eyes glared at the ceiling. “You can wear that with some non-holed jeans and whatever graphic shirt you have.”

            Cloud snapped his fingers. Holy shit he completely forgot about that awesome jacket! He quickly fished through the numerous hangers until he saw his winter clothes and pulled out the blazer. It was black and slim-fitted, which accentuated his upper torso. Most clothes looked baggy on him, but this blazer made him feel like a million gil. “The reason I haven’t worn it yet is because I’m scared I’m gonna wear it when I’m out partying and get alcohol, or maybe _vomit_ on it. It’s too nice to damage…” he ran his hand over the material.

            Tifa rolled her eyes. “Cloud, it’s not going to cry if you stain it. That’s why it has washing instructions.”

            “I know, I know.”

            “If you want to look nice for Zack, wear what I just told you. I doubt you’ll be partying on a Sunday.”

            “Yeah, but I kinda don’t want to do the whole graphic t-shirt thing,” he tilted his head to the side as he continued to stare at it.

            “Just what kind of impression had Zack made on you again because graphic tees are your life,” she idly moved her leg from side to side.

            _Well, Angeal is taking me to The Lakefront and I don’t want to embarrass him with graphic art of some cat-like animal, an obscure band, or sarcastic and vulgar statements._ “I feel like I haven’t gotten a chance to make a better impression on him, that’s all.”

            “Hm. Then maybe we can go shopping for some plain shirts and nice jeans,” she uncrossed her legs and rose from her position. “That blazer can go with a bunch of different shirts, which is why I bought it for you.”

            “Well I thank you for it because I think I finally have a good reason to wear it.” _Not in a situation you’d approve, however._

________________________________________________________________________

 

            “Ah, Seph, I’m about to--!”

            “No, you’re not,” a deep voice muttered.

            Zack whined when warm fingers squeezed the base of his cock. His hands clutched the sheets tightly in his grip as he was mercilessly pounded from behind. “Oh, _fuck_!”

            “That’s not my name,” Sephiroth breathed into his ear before biting his lobe.

            “Seph, fuck, please,” his throat was becoming sore from all the screaming, “let me come…”

            “You think you earned it?” he slowed his movements to long, drawn out thrusts. He made sure Zack felt every inch of him giving pleasure.

            The young student moaned and tilted his head further to the side, allowing Sephiroth to fully rest his chin on his shoulder. Zack tightened his sphincter muscles each time his lover grinded against that spot inside of him, and grinned at the quiet curse from the man next to him. He would have come by now if Sephiroth wasn’t such a godsdamned _sadist_. “Yes, I fucking earned it. I want to come!”

            Pale lips curled into a cruel smirk and pressed light kisses against tanned skin. He tasted the salty sweat that ran down the side of his neck. “You may want it, but that doesn’t mean you deserve it.” His tongue trailed from Zack’s shoulder all the way up behind his ear. “Beg me.”

            He hated and loved it when Sephiroth pulled that dominant shit on him. It happened plenty of times in the bedroom, and Zack never failed to comply with his boyfriend’s commands. It was the way Sephiroth spoke with such arrogance and pride, as if he knew he wouldn’t be disobeyed, that drove Zack wild. “Seph, please, I need it.”

            “ _It_? You can be more specific,” he pulled his cock further back until only the tip was inside. “Tell me what you want.”

            Thighs quivering, Zack buried his face into the bed and let out an embarrassing whine.

            “If you don’t beg me like the cockslut you are, then I will stop and leave this room,” he squeezed Zack’s cock, earning him a muffled groan. He did it before, a long time ago, and it left them both frustrated.

            Lifting his head, the student shouted, “Seph, please fuck me until I come! I need your cock so bad! I can’t…” he closed his eyes and rested his head on one of his arms, “I can’t take it anymore…” he was close to sobbing.

            “I love the desperation in your voice,” he said before forcing his cock back to the hilt, knowing exactly the right angle to hit his prostate again.

            “Aah! Seph! Aah! Right there!”

            “Say my name,”

            “S-Sephiroth! Uhn!”

            “Again.”

            Zack screamed his name in a mantra, meeting his thrusts halfway, and arching his back whenever his lover’s cock grazed the spot that drove him to borderline insanity. “ _Please_ let me come…” then he added, “Sephiroth.”

            “Good,” he whispered as he stopped squeezing the base of his lover’s cock and stroked him in time with his thrusts. Zack’s cock had leaked profusely onto his fingers that it provided enough lubricant for his strokes. “Come.”

            That’s all it took—that’s all it _fucking_ took for Zack to lose control. As soon as those words left Sephiroth’s lips, Zack’s cock spurted onto the sheets. He looked down to watch some of it shoot onto the pillows that were squashed down from the intense foreplay and positions they were in earlier. “Shit, shit, shit, shit!” He couldn’t even hold himself upright as he slumped onto the very messy spot he made, his body having spasms from his orgasm.

            Sephiroth continued his thrusts, releasing Zack’s cock and grabbed onto toned hips. He thought he lost his mind when tight heat clamped down even more around his cock. It coaxed him to follow Zack into bliss, which occurred seconds after his last train of thought.  His orgasm crashed through him, forcing a groan-like shout to erupt from his mouth.  Halting his movements, his cock jerked and filled the condom. “Zack…” he said in a breathless whisper.

            During his post-sex daze, the student _thought_ he felt the condom expand inside of him. He didn’t think it was possible to actually feel it, unless Sephiroth never masturbated during their break. “Mm, so much…”

            Catching his breath, Sephiroth tilted his head back and closed his eyes. His hair clung to his sweat-soaked forehead, and a few strands tickled his nostrils. Sighing, he lowered his head and stared at Zack’s lovely back. “It’s been a while,” he said as he raked his fingers through his silver tresses, pushing his hair out of his face.

            He let out a weak moan when he felt Sephiroth’s softening cock leave his ass, and gasped when the squishy feel of the condom also left. Yeah, Seph came a fuckton if he could sense all of that. Rolling a little to his side, he glanced at the man behind him and saw just how much came out. “I thought that only happened in porn?” he asked with wide eyes.

            The doctor rolled his eyes and moved off the bed. “If you’re so fascinated by it, then I’ll put it in a bag so you can keep it.”

            “Eww,” Zack snickered.

            Sephiroth walked into the bathroom without another word.

            The student rolled over flat on his back and stretched his arms over his head, completely satiated from a good fuck with his boyfriend. A lazy smile appeared on his face as his arms moved up and down on the sheets, completely ignoring his semen sticking to his arm. He came over to Seph’s loft last night completely exhausted from exams. Sephiroth, also tired, offered him wine, chocolate, and a movie that would put them both to sleep. When they awoke on the couch earlier this morning, Zack’s hands got playful, and the next thing he knew, he was tossed on the bed and received a _lot_ of his boyfriend’s attention.

            Zack couldn’t wait to spend the well-deserved day with Sephiroth, and wondered if he had any plans for them. But first, “Hey, Seph?”

            “Yes?” he called from the bathroom as he turned the faucet off.

            “I don’t wanna stay up too late tonight because I have a date tomorrow evening. I want some time to go home and get ready for it.”

            “That’s fine because I do too,” he said as he leaned against the bathroom doorway, folding his arms across his chest.

            “Really? You actually used the app?” He rolled over on his stomach and rested his head on a nearby pillow.

            He nodded. “I was surprised myself, but I find this man fascinating.”

            “What’s his name?”

            “Genesis.”

            “Hm. Well, my date is named Cloud.”

            “Cloud,” Sephiroth repeated with a small smile on his face. “He must be cute.”

            “He is very cute, but I learned when crossing paths with him the other day that he’s not just an angelic face.” Zack thought back to _that look_ Cloud gave him.

            “We can talk more about our future dates over brunch. I want to shower first and visit this café that opened not far from here.”

            Zack groaned and buried his head in the pillows. He made a muffled statement and Sephiroth asked him to repeat himself. Zack elevated his head. “I said, it better not be expensive like the last place.”

            The doctor waved it away. “I’m paying, so don’t worry about it.”

            “At this point, you might as well call me your sugar baby.”

            He frowned. “We’re only nine years apart."

            “Yeah, but, you pay for everything and all I can give is good sex. I feel like a mooch instead of a boyfriend.” 

            “I’ve told you before that you aren’t taking advantage of me. You’re still in school and I’ve already paid my dues,” he uncrossed his arms and walked back in the bathroom. “When your lawyer salary begins, however, I expect a one week vacation to Costa at your expense.”

            Zack laughed and got out of the bed to join Sephiroth in the shower.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

            Cloud was nervous.

            He went on many dates with numerous guys before, so this one shouldn’t make him feel like he was about to throw up. Yet here he was on the train twisting and pulling the edge of his blazer and drowning out his surroundings with music playing in his earbuds. The hand movements and music kept his anxiety in check until his stop came up. His stomach began cramping again as he stepped off the platform. With a sharp intake of breath, he lightly slapped his cheeks and slowly exhaled.

            Was it because Cloud had never dated anyone over three years older than him? Or was it because Tifa didn’t know about his new relationship with her instructor? _Or_ was it because Angeal didn’t know about Zack?

            “Fuck,” Cloud leaned against the lamppost and took off his earbuds. He unplugged them from his phone and pocketed them in his blazer. Maybe he should text Angeal and back out now before shit hits the fan.

            “Cloud?”

            Squeezing his phone in his pocket, he closed his eyes and silently cursed the gods for not giving him enough time to act. Bright blues eyes opened, and he whirled around, smiling at Angeal. “Hey!”

            All doubts went out the window when he watched Angeal approach him looking like he finished a modeling gig. He also wore a black blazer, but with matching black pants. The jacket was left open and displayed his white, button-down shirt. With the way the outfit fit perfectly on Angeal, he either got it tailored like his chef uniform, or purchased it from a high-end store that cared about people’s body types.

            That’s not fair! He wasn’t supposed to be even hotter than when he first met him!

            “You look nice,” Angeal said, eyes lingering on Cloud’s dark blue skinny jeans.

            “I still feel under-dressed now that I’ve seen you,” he replied in amusement.

            “Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry if I sounded pretentious over those texts. I didn’t want you to feel out of place here. They’re pretty snooty when it comes to what you’re wearing.”

            Blue eyes scanned the crowds of people donned in outfits that could pay one-years’ worth of rent. Polo shirts, suits, evening ball gowns, perfectly flared sundresses—these were people who sniffed money when they’re sad. “I see…”

            “I thought about buying you flowers, but I didn’t want to be cheesy,” he said with a laugh as he scratched the back of his head.

            Well that answered his question about the kind of date Angeal turned out to be. “It’s okay, really. I’m glad we can spend time together and hopefully get to know each other,” he gave him a reassuring smile.

            Angeal was lucky he was able to leave the apartment without arousing Genesis’s curiosity. All he said was that he was going out drinking with a friend and should be back later in the evening. Genesis, buried in his grading, waved him away and told him to have fun. It was almost _too_ _easy_. He didn’t even notice Angeal’s outfit! The chef felt so guilty about it that he promised himself to stop by Genesis’s favorite bakery and pick up a slice of his favorite Neapolitan cake. “Anyway,” he glanced at his watch, “I made reservations at eight. We should head on over there.”

            Cloud nodded and started walking with him past the archway entrance with the words, ‘THE LAKEFRONT’ written in large, elegant white letters. It was late enough for the lampposts to illuminate the walkway, casting a romantic glow down the cobbled ground. Blue eyes gazed at the many shops and clean buildings aligned on the walkway. Boutiques displayed the latest high-end fashion behind the windows. Some of the restaurants had chalkboard signs with specials written in brightly colored letters. This place looked more like a setting for a romantic comedy.

            Angeal casually watched the blond gaze at their surroundings in awe. He wanted to laugh at how cute he looked. “I take it you’ve never been here before?”

            “No. I’ve always wanted to go though,” he said, still looking around.

            “It’s wonderful at night because of the lighting. I should take you here during the winter holidays. There are a lot of fun events to check out.” Even though that was his and Genesis’s tradition.

            The fact that Angeal was already planning their future dates made his heart jump. Shit.

            They arrived at the restaurant and Angeal held the door open for him. Flustered, Cloud muttered his thanks and walked through. Scents of perfumes and cologne mingled in with the food as he glanced around at the dimly lit room. Light chatter and soft music played in the background, and Cloud almost wished he brought a suit. He didn’t see anyone else wearing one, but he still felt out of place for some reason.

            “Ah, Mr. Hewley!” an older man with salt and pepper hair called. “We’ve been expecting you!”

            “Hey, Charles!” he greeted with a nod and a smile.

            “Will Mr. Rhapsodos also be joining you?”

            Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Angeal’s smile slightly faltered. “N-no. Just me and a… friend.”

            Cloud frowned at that.

            “Very well. Would you like the usual spot?”

            “No. I’d like to get a table upstairs, if that’s okay?”

            “Of course,” Charles bowed. “Right this way,” he straightened his posture and began walking through the restaurant.

            Cloud glanced back at Angeal, and the man gestured to follow after the host.

            As they walked up the stairs, Cloud could definitely feel Angeal’s eyes on his ass. Deciding to tease him a little more, he put in a little extra sway in each step, grinning and wondering what expression the man had on his face. His skinny jeans made his butt look amazing, hence why he wore it tonight. The blazer was short enough to show it off.

            They were seated at the table near a window. Cloud pulled out his chair and heard Angeal whisper as he walked around him, “Don’t tempt me.” Smiling, the blond shrugged his shoulders and sat at the table, making eye contact with his date as he sat across from him.

            “You must be really hungry,” Cloud teased, trying not to laugh.

            “Keep poking fun at me and you’ll be the one paying tonight,” the chef narrowed his eyes in mock anger.

            “I’ll just order water and an appetizer. I know how to take care of myself.”

            As soon as he opened the menu, however, he realized that he could order water and maybe half a salad. Why the hell did it cost that much for a salad? It’s just leaves, vegetables, and like a tiny piece of whatever meat the customer wanted! “Or I can get water and a side dish…”

            Angeal laughed. “I get discounts because I’m a friend of the owner, remember? Be nice to me and good things will happen to you.”

            Cloud wanted to say something inappropriate, but decided against it. He kept his mouth closed and thumbed through the menu. Most of these prices were outrageous. The food better come with a choir and his name engraved in gold on the plate, or else he would be disappointed.

            “Don’t worry about the prices. Pick whatever you like.”

            “Sorry, my ma always taught me that if someone was treating me to dinner, I ask for the cheapest thing on the menu and pretend to enjoy it because it’s not my gil.” He thought about all of his dates who made fun of him for being outrageously nice. One of them took him to a fast food joint out of spite.

            “That’s… a bit too courteous, but it’s alright. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I wanted you to pick something cheap,” Angeal picked up the wine list.

            Cloud eyed the menu again and gasped when he saw one of his favorite drinks on the menu. “They sell Banora White juice!”

            The chef couldn’t help but smile. “From your expression, I guess it’s your favorite?”

            “Are you kidding me? It’s my _drug_!” He hit the menu with the back of his hand. “They sold it at one of the coffee shops on campus and I got hooked ever since. Tifa had to start an intervention because I ordered them in bulk online and would drink two or three cans a day. She had me sign a contract that stated I could only drink one can a week.”

            Angeal chuckled and leaned back in his chair, staring at Cloud curiously. “Actually, I’m from Banora Village.”

            “What? Really?”

            “Yep. And that juice was actually my lo—” he shook his head, “my best friend’s idea.”

            “Tell me all of your secrets on how to make this juice,” the blond leaned a little forward in his chair.

            Angeal couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Cloud looked with the candle illuminating his face and enhancing his bright blue eyes. They were mesmerizing, and he had a hard time looking away.

            Thankfully, the waitress stopped by their table and offered them beverages and an appetizer. After they placed their orders, she left them back to their conversation.

            “If you want to grow dumbapples, you need a huge backyard and adequate sunlight,” Angeal said.

            “Dumbapples…?”

            He cleared his throat. “Sorry. It’s what we call the Banora Whites at home because they grow at random times during the year.”

            Cloud made a sound of interest and leaned back in his chair.

            “You can also cook with them. Though, I prefer to use the juice in desserts because it’s so sweet.”

            Then a revelation popped in his head. “Are they serving the juice here because the owner knows you?”

            He smiled. “Yeah. He tried one of the juices from my lunchbox one time and, like you, got hooked. He promised that when he became an owner, he would serve it in honor of me.”

            Cloud wondered if Tifa would bring Nibel cuisine to Midgar when she opened her own restaurant. It would boost the town’s tourism and maybe bring money to them. Gaia knows the place could use some gil.

            The waitress came back with their drinks and appetizer and asked them if they were ready to order. Angeal knew what he wanted, but Cloud needed a little more time.

            “Sorry, I’ve been babbling and not paying attention to the menu.”

            “It’s alright. We have time,” Angeal studied Cloud’s face as the blond slowly turned the page of the menu and frowned at the selection. Gods, he was so close to manipulate Cloud into joining him in the bathroom and fuck him in one of the stalls. Did Cloud like to scream while he’s pounded from behind? Or was he the quiet type who gasped every time a cock brushed against his prostate?

            Letting out a shaky breath, Angeal shifted in his seat and mentally calmed himself down. He was not going to fuck him on the first date. He didn’t even bring any condoms or lube with him. However, there was a love hotel not far from here. People joked that it was for infidelity, but its main purpose was to help tipsy or drunk couples ‘consummate their romantic night.’ He and Genesis used it several times in the past.

            “Okay, I think I know what I want,” said Cloud.

            Angeal didn’t realize he was rubbing his forehead. “I’ll see if I can catch the waitress.”

            He managed to get her attention and she came back to the table with her pad and pen ready. The two ordered their meals and she nodded with a smile, saying that it will be out shortly.

            The rest of their dinner was spent with light conversation. Cloud asked Angeal what made him become a chef after moving to Midgar. Angeal shared his story, leaving out crucial details about his and Genesis’s open relationship, and the past mistakes that forced him to change from a full-time chef to an instructor. He instead danced around critical events, only saying that he kept changing jobs until he finally found his true calling. He wasn’t exactly lying, but he wasn’t telling the full truth either.

Cloud, in turn, found some similarities in Angeal’s story and told him about his move to Midgar and his time in undergrad, leaving out details about his past relationship with Tifa. He mentioned his career decisions as a freshman and how he received his internship at Tuesti.

            Their conversation shifted to their hobbies and what they liked to do during their free time. Angeal listened to Cloud intently as he planned future outings related to Cloud’s preferences. Genesis subscribed to an event magazine that posted monthly festivals and the like around the city, or in the neighboring town, Kalm.

            After their meal, Angeal said, “I need to stop by the bakery before they close. Would you care to join me?” He finished signing the receipt and left a cash tip for the waitress.

            “Yeah, I’d love to. I’d like to explore The Lakefront a little more.”

            They exited the restaurant and strolled down the walkway again. Angeal pointed and explained the different shops he had visited, occasionally bringing up Genesis’s name.

            “Genesis is your childhood friend, right?”

            “Yes.” _And my lover._

“You two sorta remind me of me and Tifa.” Even though, they broke up years ago, they still remained very good friends and did almost everything together.

            “She’s also your childhood friend, right?”

            “Yeah.” _And my ex-girlfriend, but that’s not important._

            They finally made it to the bakery. Cloud’s nostrils flared at the sweet aromas lingering in the shop as he walked inside. It was smaller than most bakeries he had been to, but the colorful, perfectly decorated cakes told him that they were baked with precision and care. He approached the display booth and eyed the pretty little cupcakes for sale. Most of them had pastel-colored flowers on top and would make great gifts for friends. Cloud thought about purchasing one for Tifa, but he didn’t want her asking why he was at The Lakefront when he told her earlier that he was going to the bar with some friends.

            Instead his eyes wandered on one particular cupcake. It didn’t have the colorful flower-shaped frosting, or elaborate edible garnishes like the others. In fact, it reminded him of pancakes because of the similar brown-beige colors. If he looked closely, he could see white powder and brown specks decorating the cupcake and the frosting. Was it covered in two types of sugar?

            “You see something you like?” Angeal whispered as he hovered over Cloud’s bent form.

            The blond could practically feel heat radiating from the man, and suppressed a shudder. “Yeah, those,” he pressed his finger against the glass, “look really tasty.”

            “I’ll buy one for you.”

            “What?!” he straightened up and bumped his ass into Angeal. The man held his waist to steady him, surprised at the sudden movement. “I, uh…”

            Luckily no one was in the shop, save for the attendant who was in the walk-in refrigerator looking for the cake slice Angeal requested. The chef took advantage of their close proximity to lightly nuzzle Cloud’s neck, his hands caressing a clothed waist from underneath the blazer. “It’ll be my treat,” he said in a low voice.

            Cloud turned his head to regard him, and suddenly realized how close their lips were to touching. Blue eyes gazed into dark ones before lowering down to his lips. His heart was pounding fast in its ribcage, causing him to lick his lips and catch his breath. He mentally joked that his heart was pumping all the blood down south. How long had it been since he had a dick up his ass? Days? Weeks?

            Too long for a red-blooded man like himself.

            “Thanks…” he whispered, his hands enclosing over large ones and rubbing his thumbs over their knuckles. “But I think you’d be a better treat for me.”

            “Let this be a taste test then,” he licked pouty lips.

            “I found the last slice!” a female voice chimed as she approached the counter carrying a box.

            In a blur, the two men separated, Angeal coughing and staring out the window while Cloud covered his nose and mouth, feeling a blush forming on his cheeks.

            The cashier blinked at the two in confusion, tucking her brown hair behind her ear.

            “Th-that’s great!” Angeal exclaimed, still not facing anyone. “I also wanted to purchase a cupcake for my friend here…”

            It took a moment for Cloud to register that Angeal meant him. Shaking his head and slowly counting to three, he dropped his arm to the side and asked, “I wanted one of these cupcakes,” he tapped the display case with his index finger.

            “Good eye, sir! They’re new on our menu!” With her gloved hand, she grabbed the cupcake and asked, “Would you like for me to place it in a container?”

            “Nah, I can eat it while walking,” he took it from her and held it with both hands. Now that he was closer to it, he could smell cinnamon. He wasn’t sure if it was rude to eat it before Angeal paid, and waited for the completed transaction before he could guess the flavor.

            The chef paid for the Neapolitan cake slice and mystery cupcake, and the two walked out of the store with a slight wave to the cashier. Cloud immediately took a bite of his dessert and made a sound of delight. Holy fuck this tasted exactly like French toast! “The frosting tastes like maple syrup.”

            “Huh. Is it buttercream or whipped icing?”

            “I… cannot tell the difference.”

            Angeal looked at him with mock horror. “Buttercream is much richer than whipped icing,” he glanced at the cupcake. “I can’t tell very well from the poor lighting out here, but if I remember from inside the store, the shape of the frosting is a lot more intricate, meaning that it’s buttercream.”

            “Hm,” he sucked on the cream that got on the side of his thumb.

            The dark haired man watched him with intrigue as they paced down the walkway. He saw the pink tongue that darted out to lick the buttercream and wondered how that tongue would feel in other places. Taking a sharp breath, he mentally checked himself and focused his attention back to the scenery.

            “Damn, now I’m thirsty,” Cloud said while smacking his lips.

            Angeal chuckled. “There’s a vendor near the lake.”

            That made the blond look at him. “There’s actually a lake here?”

            “Well, it’s more of a man-made pond, but yes, there’s a large body of water at the edge of this walkway. The Lakefront is one big U-shaped area.”

            “Why didn’t they call it, The Pondfront?'

            “Sounds weird, and not as fancy.”

            “Oh…” Cloud sucked on his fingers, throwing his trash in the nearby public bin.

            Gods, if Cloud kept up with his sucking sounds…

            Angeal bought the blond bottled water from the vendor and watched him drink it all in big gulps. The blond covered his burp, excused himself and tossed the bottle in the recycling bin.

            “I feel much better. Thanks for buying me everything.”

            “I asked you out. It’s only fair.”

            “Actually…” Cloud sat at one of the nearby benches, with Angeal following suit, “I was wondering why you kept introducing me as a ‘friend’,” he made air quotes while saying the last word.

            _Shit._ “I wasn’t sure if it was too soon for me to call you my boyfriend,” he said with a shrug. It wasn’t a _total_ lie. “I had to know beforehand if you enjoyed yourself tonight.”

            “One, you can just call me your ‘date.’ And two,” Cloud scooted closer to him, “I’d love to go on more dates with you if it means I get to eat rich people food.”

            “Do you want to date me because I know all the good eating places, or do you want to date me because you like me?” Angeal gave him an incredulous stare.

            “The latter, of course. I find you hot and I want to get to know you more.”

            They sat in silence, staring out at the “lake” and watched couples walk by them while holding hands and occasionally glancing at the body of water. Angeal thought back to one summer where there was a couple’s event that allowed people to ride boats across the lake. Genesis complained that the area wasn’t large enough for them to experience the full effect of boat riding, and Angeal reminded him that they were in the city. The chef asked his lover if he wanted to go camping, but Genesis shot him down with the idea that bugs could crawl into their sleeping bags and bite them in unwanted places.

            The more he thought about Genesis, the more he realized how opposite they were. That didn’t stop Angeal from loving him.

            But can a person still love someone when he cheats on his partner?

The chef knew dating Cloud behind Genesis’s back was wrong; however, he honestly didn’t want to feel left out of not having an extra partner while Genesis had the chance to pick and choose who was best for them. Yeah, he agreed to it at first, but now he regretted not saying how he truly felt. What if Genesis hogged this ‘S’ person, or whomever else to himself? How long would it take for him to introduce this new person? Angeal should have been more patient and trusted Genesis, but something told him that he wouldn’t have had this date with Cloud if he followed the rules. He liked the blond and found him to be adorable. He was young, had high hopes about his career, and fun to be around.

            And gods, was Cloud fuckable.

            “I need to go to the bathroom,” the young engineer said as he stood and looked around for a nearby restroom.

            “There’s one between the Wutai fashion store and the suit shop right behind you.”

            Cloud turned around and saw exactly what he was talking about. “Thanks,” he said before jogging over to the area.

            Later, the blond stood in front of the sink washing his hands. With a sigh, he realized that he was not going to let Angeal go. The man was too nice, and a great conversationalist. Plus, he inspired Cloud. He could tell that Angeal loved his job when he spoke about his current and previous students. The blond hoped someday that wherever he worked, he could talk about his job with a smile on his face.

            Angeal will be a fantastic boyfriend.

            Suddenly, someone approached Cloud from behind and slammed their hands on either side of his slim frame, trapping him against the sink. Blue eyes widened in the mirror when he spotted Angeal staring right back at him with a hungry look on his face. Cloud frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped short when he felt Angeal’s erection press against his lower back. Gasping, he didn’t break eye contact from the mirror and let out a quiet moan.

            Angeal couldn’t take it anymore. He tried to repress it – tried to contain his desire, but he was horny and Cloud was the closest piece of ass he would get for tonight. “All that teasing you did earlier,” he whispered as his hands slowly ran up Cloud’s shirt, “had pushed me off the edge,” he kissed the back of Cloud’s ear. “And I’m taking you with me.”

            Bright blue eyes fluttered closed when he felt warm lips against his skin. It had been too long since he had gotten laid, and he wasn’t about to pass the opportunity with an attractive man. Forget not fucking on the first date. He wanted a dick _now._  “You don’t need too because I’m jumping with you,” he lifted a hand and caressed the side of Angeal’s cheek, feeling the stubble grazing his palm.

            With a growl, Angeal guided Cloud to one of the private stalls, never taking his hands off of him. As soon as he locked it, Cloud threw his arms around his neck and planted an open-mouth kiss on his lips. The chef responded with equal fervor, grabbing Cloud’s ass and grinding their clothed cocks against one another. The action made the blond hiss and he tossed his head back with a groan. The dark haired man licked the exposed neck while sliding his hands underneath the blond’s blazer and shirt, and trailed his fingernails against soft skin.

            Cloud shuddered from the sensations and moaned, “Fuck me right now.”

             “You want it raw?”

            “Yeah. Give it to me,” he got on his knees and made to unbuckle Angeal’s belt. There wasn’t enough space or the right setting for foreplay, but he could at least get him hard in record time. Cloud was told by several ex-lovers that his mouth was a gift.

            “Prepare yourself while you suck me off,” he commanded as he watched Cloud pull his zipper down and free his cock from his underwear. He groaned when warm hands stroked him up and down.

            “Fuck, you’re huge,” he whispered before he stood and unbuttoned his jeans. Angeal was half hard and had the thickest cock Cloud had ever seen in his entire sexual life. Just thinking about it being inside of him made his cock twitch in anticipation.

            He pulled his jeans off, using the wall of the stall for support and got back down on his knees. He rarely wore underwear unless he was at work. Otherwise, he liked to go commando on the weekends. Cloud’s fingers disappeared in his mouth and made loud sucking noises, swirling his tongue around them and soon realizing that he would be doing the same to Angeal’s cock. He pulled them free from his mouth, a thin string of saliva breaking from his fingertips and bottom lip, and put them between his legs. He used his free hand and grasped the half-hard cock in his hand.

            Angeal let out a loud groan when a hot mouth sucked the tip of his cock. It felt so good having someone else on his knees in front of him, worshiping his cock, commenting on its size. He wasn’t one to gloat, but he was proud of his large size. It made all of his former and current lovers go wild with lust.

            Cloud’s mouth strained as Angeal grew to full hardness. He worked his fingers inside his ass, groaning and rolling his hips to locate his prostate. He moved back with a pop, gazing at the very large cock in front of him. There was a prominent vein that started from the base of his cock and trailed all the way to the mushroom-shaped head. The blond ran his tongue along the protruding vein, feeling it pulse and throb from his tease. When his tongue reached the tip, he could taste the salty precome and sucked it down like it was his only source of drink.

            “Uhn, fuck! Just like that…” the chef whispered as his hands grabbed onto golden strands.

            Cloud figured that he liked it when the head of his cock was teased. He kept a firm grip on Angeal’s cock and took the head into his mouth once again. His tongue flicked back and forth along the slit, coaxing out more fluid from the tiny hole. He stabbed his tongue against it over and over, feeling hands tightening their hold on his hair. Cloud loved it when people yanked and pulled his hair while he went down on them. It let him know that he did a good job with his skillful mouth.

            Angeal began moving his hips, careful not to force more than the blond could take. Genesis still couldn’t deepthroat him because his cock was so thick. His former lovers could only take about a quarter of his cock inside their mouths before their gag reflexes kicked in.

            Cloud released the chef’s penis with a loud pop, not caring about the drool sticking to the corners of his mouth. “I want to deepthroat you,” he said as he looked up at him.

            That made his eyes widen, secretly wondering if he vocalized his thoughts earlier. “Can you take it all?”

            “I want to see how far I can go,” his eyes wandered down to the thick member in his hand.

            “Then by all means, go for—IT!” he shouted when a warm mouth engulfed his penis.

            Cloud sharply inhaled through his nostrils and continued working his fingers inside his ass to relax his muscles. He was stretched pretty well, but he loved playing with his ass while having a dick in his mouth. He discovered his love of being filled at both ends after participating in a threesome on his birthday last year.

            The young engineer moved his mouth further down until his gag reflex kicked in. He immediately pulled his head back and coughed. His eyes teared up from the strain.

            “You sure you can—”

            “Watch me,” he licked his lips and swallowed Angeal’s cock, this time moving further down the shaft and ignored his immediate gag reaction. He closed his eyes and deeply inhaled through his nostrils, feeling drool escape his mouth and dribbling onto his thighs. He made swallowing motions with his throat, relaxing it and forcing it to submit to the large intrusion. When Cloud couldn’t take it anymore he jerked his head back and loudly coughed.

            Angeal watched Cloud with heightened pleasure, loving how he struggled to breathe and left thick strings of spit all over his dick. It was very messy, and seeing him like this turned him on. “You look like a whore,” he whispered as he rubbed his cock all over Cloud’s spit-slicked lips.

            Cloud opened his mouth and closed his eyes, sticking out his tongue. Angeal could fucking give him a money shot on his face for all he cared. “Throat-fuck me.”

            “You want it that badly?”

            “Yes. Make me gag.”

            Without another word, he shoved his cock down Cloud’s throat. The blond’s last attempt only lasted halfway down his length, about the same amount as Genesis. Angeal moved his hips back and forth, gripping blond strands and whispering dirty words to the man on his knees.

            Cloud loved every moment of it and moaned while moving his fingers in time with Angeal’s thrusts. When his lover’s dick went even deeper, Cloud gagged and Angeal swiftly stepped back against the stall door, allowing the engineer to catch his breath.

            “Fuck, I’m gonna come…” the chef said as he stroked his cock.

            “Do it in my mouth,” Cloud said in a hoarse voice before opening his mouth wide.

            “No, I have a better place for it. Stand up and turn around.”

            The blond did as told and braced himself on the wall behind the toilet. Angeal told him to also spread his ass cheeks. Cloud kept one hand against the tiled wall while the other hand reached behind him and spread one cheek to the side. His hole was twitching, partly from his fingers earlier, and the other part waiting for Angeal’s come. He hadn’t received an anal creampie in a very long time. The thought made him shudder at how filthy this was.

            It didn’t take long for Angeal to reach his peak. He used one hand to spread the other cheek while he rapidly stroked his cock until it shot out ribbons of come straight into Cloud’s ass. Some of it splashed onto the blond’s lower back, but Angeal didn’t fucking care where on the man’s body it landed. “Ah, fuck…”

            Cloud moaned at the warm, wet sensation of come entering his ass. He was so fucking hard that he could see precome dribble down his shaft and into the toilet. “But how will you be able to fuck—“

            Hands grabbed his ass and a large cock was shoved inside without warning.

            “FUCK!” Cloud shouted as he tried his hardest to hold himself above the toilet. “I can’t take…ahn… Angeal!”

            “If you can swallow so much of my dick, you can take it up your ass,” he said, moving back a little until the head was just beyond Cloud’s anal sphincter before shoving his cock back inside.

            The blond moaned and bit his lip, remembering that he was in a public bathroom. Angeal’s cock was so _thick_ and felt like it was ripping him apart. Thank Gaia he stretched his ass, or else he would be bleeding from the intrusion. He wasn’t sure if Angeal’s come would have been enough.

            Laughter could be heard from outside the stall and Angeal slowed his thrusts to limit the wet sucking sounds from their fucking. Cloud heard the men talk about some business project while they urinated, but he was so lost in pleasure and pain that he barely caught some of the phrases being said. He covered his mouth with one hand while most of his strength was placed on one arm. Angeal was moving torturously slow to the point where he almost tried to slam back against his hips.

            The men left the stall and Angeal went back to his brutal thrusts.

            “Ah! Angeal! Ah! Please!” Cloud clawed the tiled wall.

            He was buried to the hilt inside of Cloud, and groaned at the extremely tight heat clamping down on his cock each time he slammed back inside. He was moving so fast that he could feel his balls swinging from the vigorous motion. He rotated his hips until he found that special spot made for orgasms.

            “Gods, Angeal! I’m gonna come! I’m gonna come!” the young blond became a drooling mess and saw more precome leaking into the toilet. It almost looked like he was taking a piss.

            “Yeah, come. Come as hard as you can.”

            Angeal violently hit that fucking spot inside of him and Cloud shot his load on the toilet lid and seat. He didn’t need to have his cock touched because Angeal’s dick was perfect _._ “So good… so fucking good…” his legs began to shake.

            “Yes…” he kept moving his hips until he came again, emptying his balls inside the blonde. So much came out that it started to ooze onto his cock and dribbled on the floor. “Take all of it…”

            “Nngh…” Cloud didn’t know how the fuck he did it, but he managed to hold himself upright throughout it all. Thank Gaia because he wasn’t sure if he would be happy touching a public toilet seat.

            Catching their breaths, Angeal smooth some stray hair out of his face and pulled out of his new lover. As soon as he did it, he swallowed at the copious amounts of come flooding out of Cloud’s ass. He had never gone bareback with anyone outside of Genesis, even before they started their serious, open relationship. He completely broke a serious rule.

            But instead of feeling guilty, he felt revitalized and… _dirty._

            “I can’t believe you came twice without a break,” Cloud said in a breathless tone as he slowly straightened his posture, wincing at his sore ass.

            “It’s a weird talent I have,” he replied as he grabbed a ball of toilet paper and wiped Cloud’s ass.

            He hissed. “Thanks, but I don’t want anyone touching my ass right now.”

            “Shit, did I hurt you?”

            He shook his head. “You were just bigger than I anticipated. Next time, we use lube, no matter how much I beg for rough sex.”

            They cleaned themselves up and wiped down the toilet seat before exiting the bathroom. Cloud held onto Angeal’s arm as they slowly walked back to the entrance. A lot of the shops had closed down for the night. Many of the restaurants remained open to the public. The chef told the blond that The Lakefront didn’t officially shut down until one in the morning.

            Standing underneath the entrance sign, the two stared at each other in silence, not sure what to say.

            “I had fun,” Cloud simply said as he kissed Angeal on the lips.

            He wanted their exchange to last longer but didn’t need to draw attention so late in the night. They already had a close call earlier. He moved back with a smile and rubbed his finger across the blond’s bottom lip. “I did too. I enjoyed _everything._ ”

            A coy smile appeared on his face. “We’ll have to do it again sometime.”

            “Yes,” he agreed.

            They parted after another long kiss. Cloud was grateful that the train ran late on the weekends for the drunk crowd. Unfortunately, he wasn’t one of them. But he was definitely the just-got-laid crowd. He completely broke every personal rule he had when it came to dating, and honestly, he didn’t give a fuck. He had the best sex of his life and he wasn’t going to spoil it by moping over not being a ‘good boy.’

            When Angeal got back home and took off his shoes by the front door, he realized that he completely forgot about the cake slice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter came out looooooong. I thought about breaking it into two chapters, but decided against it. I was totally blasting Beyoncé's Drunk in Love when I wrote the second sex scene lol.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Chapter will be short. Writing is a bit sloppy because it jumbled around in my brain today. I wrote this in my laboratory office that I share with two other people. It was risky typing this out with people walking back and forth behind me lol. Also, maybe I should put the pairings in each chapter (sex or no)…? Let me know if that’s what you guys want.

           Genesis emerged from the bathroom after his well-deserved shower. He spent all of his precious Saturday grading overdue papers. For a while, he still blamed the department head for not providing him any teaching assistants. There was too much on his plate as an associate professor, and it had only been one year since he joined the literature department. However, as much as he hated to admit it, it was his fault for procrastinating throughout half of the semester. Angeal’s words the other day stuck to him and made him reconsider not being a lazy grader. This was the best paying job he had ever gotten, and with all the hard work he put into becoming a college instructor, there was no need for him to lose his job because of his bad habits.

            Throwing the towel around his shoulders, he sauntered over to the walk-in closet for loungewear. He had until the evening to get ready for his date tonight. Honestly, he was glad it moved to today because he would have used it as an excuse to not touch his students’ exams yesterday. And he hated wasting his Sundays thinking about classes.

            “Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” Angeal said as he walked into the bedroom.

            “You know I always sleep in on Sundays,” he replied while putting on one of Angeal’s shirts.

            The chef caught a glimpse of his lover’s perfectly sculpted ass before it was barely covered by his shirt. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he needed to not try to do anything with Genesis until he confirmed with Cloud that he was clean. He had a feeling that the blond was careful, but they barely knew each other and still had unprotected sex. Angeal didn’t really let yesterday’s events sink in until he actually remembered this morning what he’d done. He sent a few texts to Cloud when he was in the kitchen, asking if he was okay and hinting if they made a poor decision in not using condoms. The chef hoped he didn’t come off as a jerk, but he needed to be sure before the fire he started became too much for him to handle. “Yeah, but you have a date tonight. I figured you would be too excited to sleep,” he walked over to the bed and sat on the end of it.

            “It hadn’t been _that_ long since I’ve dated other people,” he slipped into a pair of sweatpants. “Besides, I’m not even worried as to how it will go.”

            “You’ve said that before. I’ll wait until you’ll tell me all about it afterwards.”

            Turning off the light in the closet, he closed the door and walked over to his lover. He sat down in his lap, facing him, and placed his hands on Angeal’s shoulders. “I could bring you along and have him figure it out then.”

            “We’ve tried that before and it didn’t go so well, remember?” he wrapped his arms around Genesis’s waist.

            “That’s because he was close-minded.”

            “Not everyone supports the poly lifestyle. Remember that when you tell ‘S’ that you’re also with me.” Angeal wondered how Cloud would react if he told him the truth. Would he hate him and never speak to him again? Or will he be okay with it and want to meet Genesis? If the latter happened, then he needed to come up with a good excuse as to why he delayed on telling Genesis about Cloud.

            “You have very little faith in this date,” Genesis said as he pushed a few black strands out of his lover’s face.

            “I’m guess I’m just worried that Mystery Man may not like the idea of you being in an open relationship.” Or was he projecting his worries about Cloud out on Genesis?

            “If it happens, then so be it,” he stroked Angeal’s soft hair while looking over his head at nothing in particular. No, ‘S’ will be very understanding; Genesis was _sure_ of it.

            Angeal rested his head against his lover’s chest, quietly listening to his heartbeat. _Then maybe I can introduce Cloud if your date fails._

            _Maybe._

            “How was your little friend-date yesterday? You didn’t say one word when you came home last night.” Genesis just finished the last student’s exam when Angeal returned with a blank expression on his face. The professor mentioned that he finally finished grading, and the only reply he got out of Angeal was a sound of approval before the chef immediately rushed upstairs and into the bedroom to shower.

            Angeal tensed and bit his bottom lip. Think fast. Think fast. “It was nice.”

            “That’s it?” he frowned and grabbed Angeal’s face to look at him. For a split second he thought the man looked guilty, but Genesis wasn’t sure if his eyes were still playing weird tricks on him after staring at terrible writing all of yesterday. “Usually you have new gossip after hanging out with your little cooking buddies. Which one was it again?”

            “Uh, James…”

            “I thought he was out of town?”

            “James is also the name of one of my students,” he said as he worked hard at remaining calm. “Sorry, I wasn’t sure if you’d be upset if I told you that a few of my students invited me to go out for a night of drinks and good food.”

            Genesis dropped his arms in his lap and shrugged his shoulders. “I really don’t care. I trust you.” He began playing with the collar of Angeal’s shirt. “Where did you guys go?”

            “The Lakefront.”

            He smiled. “That’s where ‘S’ and I are going tonight. Since I invited him, I figured I could use my boyfriend-of-the-owner’s-friend discount at Pritchard’s.”

            Angeal wanted to bury his head in a pillow and let out a long scream. That’s where he and Cloud went out to eat. If Charles worked there tonight as well, he may mention Cloud’s presence. The chef had to think of a good explanation in case that actually happened. “You think that’s a bit too much for a first date?”

            “Would you rather I impress him with the one gil menu at The Fat Chocobo?”

            He snorted. “No. I mean you don’t need to impress him with a fancy dinner. It’s more about the chemistry.” He realized that after being around Cloud. The young blond looked uncomfortable the whole time he was at the restaurant. Angeal tried to keep his mind occupied by maintaining a good conversation, and it worked. When they left, Cloud looked a lot more relaxed.

            And their chemistry was way beyond his expectations.

            “I’m well aware, but in case it goes ‘bad’ like you keep implying, then at least I can come home content from a good meal.”

            “Point made…”

            Genesis rubbed Angeal’s shoulders and frowned again. “You’re really tense.” He trailed his finger down his lover’s jawline to the patch of skin not covered by his shirt. “Want me to remedy that for you?” he asked in a seductive voice and with a devious grin on his face.

            Fuck. He hadn’t checked his phone for Cloud’s reply. Better not do anything until he knew that he was safe. “I’d love to but I’m not in the mood right now.”

            The professor stared at him as if he said something in another language. “Are you sick?”

            “No, just not in the mood.” Angeal released his hold on him. “I already had breakfast this morning so I’m not hungry. Want me to fix you anything?”

            Ever since Angeal came home last night, he had been acting a bit… distant. It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since his outing with his friends, but… for him to completely turn down sex, or not think of other ways they could be sexual without any penetration concerned him. In all of their years together, Angeal _never_ turned down sex. He loved it as much as any healthy male, so what made today different?

            Did something happen last night?

______________________________________________________________________________

            Cloud was grateful that his and Tifa’s apartment came with a washer and dryer because he was not in the mood to fight people over laundry privileges on a Sunday. It was a miracle that his blazer didn’t get any stains on it. However, the rest of his clothes didn’t dodge the spit and semen. He threw in other dirty clothes with his outfit, in order to not arouse any suspicion because he already did his laundry on Friday. His prepared excuse was that he forgot about one of the dirty piles in his closet, which was actually true.

When he came home last night, he did not expect to see Tifa and her girlfriend on the couch watching a movie. Tifa was supposed to spend the night at her place, but it looked like plans changed. Tifa didn’t see him leave in his outfit intended for Zack, so he panicked as he slowly closed the door and waited for them to notice him. Luckily though, they were already asleep together with a blanket pooled on their laps. Cloud sighed in relief and turned off the television. He almost gave them kisses, but remembered that he had dick on his breath. Instead, he pulled the blanket over them and snuck into his room without another sound.

            This morning he felt the aftermath of the best fucking he had ever gotten in his entire life.

            His ass was sore as fuck. It started in the middle of his sleep, and he took anti-pain medication to help with the throbbing. It worked for about four hours and he was back to being sore. He then took a hot shower and later applied his expensive ointment that worked magic on his ass after sex. Because it was so expensive, Cloud rarely used it unless he absolutely needed it. Having sex without lube was the worst idea he had ever thought of.

            He had unprotected sex on the first date, and without lube. He was better off answering back to those booty calls he received on Love Twice.

            But Angeal was so _good_ though… and his cock was _amazing_. Cloud loved having rough sex, and it was hard for him to find the right guy who gave him what he wanted. Previous lovers have always been gentle, or didn’t know what the fuck they were doing when it came to being rough. A lot of them thought it was only slapping and dirty talking. While Cloud secretly did not mind those aspects, he knew that the sex was missing something. Last night with Angeal made him realize what it was: _chemistry_.

            Cloud liked Angeal a lot, and the sex was a super bonus. Now he needed to wait and see what Zack was like. He had a feeling that they will get along well (outside of their close age), but Cloud was not physically ready to fuck if it came to that point of the date. However, it would be hard to refuse a hottie like Zack if he wanted sex. Maybe a blowjob, or frotting would suffice until he felt better.

            The blond rolled over on his bed and checked his phone for any messages. There were two from Angeal:

            _I hope you’re okay. Sorry for being a bit too rough._

            That made Cloud smile. The fact that he actually cared enough to check up on him made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

            _I do have to ask though, are we safe after not using condoms?_

            Oh shit! Well, he was clean after his test last month. And he hadn’t been sexually active until last night. Considering how Angeal asked the question, he assumed he was clean as well. But just to be on the safe side:

            _I’ll heal. Thanks for asking! Also, I’m clean and I hope you are too?_

            Before Cloud checked his other messages, he received an immediately reply from Angeal:

            _Thank goodness!_ _Now I can…_ There was a pause that confused the blond and then another text followed: _I mean… I’m happy you’re okay and that we didn’t… catch anything…_

            Cloud covered his mouth as he read the texts, trying not to laugh too loud. Angeal was so tense in his messages!

            _You don’t have to hold back with me (in more ways than I’m implying ;) ). I understand your concern and it’s definitely best that we use condoms for now._ They were both clean, but it was still a good idea to practice safe sex until their relationship became long term. Plus, it was a pain in the ass (literally) to clean out all the partially dried come.

            The blond suddenly remembered an important detail and added: _By the way, I’m allergic to latex._

            _Really?_

            _Yeah, I learned it the hard way. I’ll be sure to carry some non-latex ones now that I know your size._

            _I’ll definitely make sure to find some when I’m at the convenience store._

Cloud lowered his hand and smiled at the phone screen. He typed out a response that brought the subject back to how good the sex was last night, but he erased his typing. He can talk to Angeal about that when they see each other again.

            _Thanks._

            There was a knock at his door. The blond exited the messages and locked his phone. “Yeah?” he called.

            The door opened and a young female brunette ran inside and jumped on his bed. “Cloud! You have a date tonight!” she exclaimed as she bounced up and down on his bed.

            “Aerith, it’s not that serious!” he laughed as he watched her sit on his bed.

            Wearing a tank top and shorts, Aerith adjusted her top and smoothed her loose hair back. She loved spending the night with Tifa because she had the chance to see Cloud’s adorable face. Last night, she and Tifa were going to drink at the bar near her apartment, but it was closed for renovations. Instead, Tifa ordered pizza and they watched a movie at her and Cloud’s place. Aerith asked where he was and Tifa told her about him hanging out with his friends. During the movie, she gossiped about Cloud’s new potential boyfriend. “I was told that this one may actually be a keeper!”

            “I haven’t even dated him yet and the two of you are already coming to these conclusions,” he said as he put his phone on the nightstand.

            “Tifa told me how you visited three stores to find a plain shirt. I think this guy is affecting you, which is a good sign.”

            _If only you knew the true reason…_ “Nah, I just want to impress him tonight, that’s all.”

            She held a finger up. “In other words, when you saw him at the restaurant the other day, you realized that he is worth your time. This is what I meant when I said a ‘good sign,’ Cloud.”

            The blond sighed. Tifa must have told her everything he said to her. “Since you are so confident about it, why don’t you take my place?”

            “I’m tempted, but no thanks. I love Tifa too much.”

            This was the girl Tifa had been fooling around with when Cloud was still dating her. He was mad for about two seconds until he confessed to liking boys more. At first he thought he was bisexual, but he hadn’t been attracted to another woman outside of Tifa. He adored Aerith like a sister, and that was it—there were no romantic feelings towards her. The engineer was happy and secretly jealous that Tifa found somebody as wonderful as Aerith in such a short amount of time. Cloud hoped that Zack, or Angeal, became long term and he could finally come out to his mom and introduce a real boyfriend, instead of making up stories about him and Tifa.

            Who would be the one he introduced? What if both men turned out to be great boyfriends?

Aerith silently watched the expressions on Cloud’s face range from amusement to concern. He must be worried about his date tonight. He had no problems _finding_ a date; it was the fact that they all turned out to be complete _losers_. She had a feeling he would be worried because of his past negative experiences. But when Tifa told her about this new guy and how Cloud had been reacting to him a lot more differently compared to the others, she knew that this Zack person would be a good catch. “I’m so glad the app worked for you because Tifa and I worried about the shitty guys you kept meeting,” she said as she patted him on the leg. “Don’t fret about the date tonight. I promise it will be the best one you’ve ever had!”

            _I’m not exactly anxious about that…_ “Thanks for looking after me.” Though, Angeal’s date last night was so far the best one. And he didn’t even meet him through Love Twice. Perhaps Cloud had been looking in the wrong places.

            “That’s what friends do,” she rubbed his leg in a soothing gesture.

            Tifa strolled into Cloud’s bedroom carrying a pile of clothes. She dropped it on him, causing Aerith to laugh. “I thought you finished your laundry on Friday?”

            The blond swiped some of his underwear and socks out of his hair. “I forgot a dirty pile.”

            She glanced at his black hole of a closet. “How can you even tell what’s dirty or not?”

            “I do the sniffing method.”

            Aerith laughed again. “I really hope when Zack officially becomes your boyfriend, you get your act together.” She gestured to his messy room. “This screams bachelor!”

            “Don’t jump to conclusions because he may be just as messy as him,” Tifa said as she tossed her hair behind her shoulders. “I know a lot of people who have dated for more than a year and they still live in a junky place.”

            “How sad,” she lifted a shirt and tossed it on the half-made pile next to his body. She often got the urge to clean Cloud’s room, but she reminded herself that she wasn’t his maid, and that it would go back to being junky in less than a week.

            Cloud suspected that Zack wasn’t as messy as him. Angeal on the other hand, struck him as a neat freak. He will have to see for himself when they start spending the night at each other’s places. The blond will have to be discreet with Angeal and work their dating schedule around Tifa’s. The last thing he wanted was have her find her instructor in bed with him.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

            Sephiroth and Zack parted after a heated kiss that turned into heavy petting and groping. Zack laughed and gave Sephiroth’s lips a playful lick, whispering that he had to get ready for his date tonight.

            “We rarely see each other these days so I’m taking advantage of all the time I have with you,” Sephiroth said as he tightened his hold on his lover.

            That made the student pause and he moved back to give him a serious look. “Are you okay with us seeing other people?” Zack was the one who brought up Love Twice after they’ve both expressed wanting to date around. Their first poly relationship went pretty well until bad circumstances happened. However, it brought Zack and Sephiroth closer, and they spent a lot of time with each other until they were ready to try again.

“Yes,” Sephiroth said with a nod. “I am merely being selfish; yet at the same time I wish for you to have someone nearby since our careers are so hectic.” Lately, with Zack’s busy law school schedule and Sephiroth’s late night clinic and hospital appointments, their time together grew shorter and shorter. “I know I’m not the best at emotional support, and our hobbies are very different, which is why I feel that polyamory would be good for us… again.”

            They’ve had this conversation before. He was glad that Sephiroth still remained firm in his decision because he would have to cancel his date if his lover didn’t agree to it. “It’s normal to be selfish. As long as we talk to each other, I think we will be fine.” They agreed to tell each other everything. No hidden agendas, no secret meet-ups. If Zack wanted to go out with Cloud to someplace as simple as the supermarket, he would ask Sephiroth ahead of time.

            Sephiroth nodded again. “Of course.” He trusted Zack to never keep any secrets between them; and he will reciprocate the actions as well. They learned very quickly that polyamory was a lot like monogamous dating. Communication was a big part of a successful and healthy relationship. As long as all parties were on the same page, there shouldn’t be any problem. “Do you plan on telling Cloud tonight that you’re in a polyamorous relationship?”

            He rested his head on Sephiroth’s chest. “I don’t know.” He debated for _hours_ if he should put his relationship status on his Love Twice profile. He didn’t want to deal with undesirables asking him for just sex, outside of the ones he already got.

            “You’re afraid he’ll run away.”

            “Yes.” Cloud was adorable and he really wanted to get to know him more. He didn’t want his lifestyle to deter the blond from possibly forming a good relationship.  

            “I’m willing to give you time to consider. Just be prepared for the consequences the longer you delay.” Sephiroth stroked soft, black hair, still trying to figure out how spiky looking hair managed to feel so soft.

            Cloud may hate him for withholding important information about his relationship status if he delayed it or not. Maybe it _was_ best to go ahead and tell him. “What about you? Do you plan on telling Genesis?”

            “I’d rather get it over with.” After all, Genesis was willing to initiate a conversation, despite how little Sephiroth shared on his profile. However, he wasn’t sure if the professor would accept polyamory. Hopefully the date tonight will help him understand his personality a bit more before he told the truth. “I don’t want to pressure you, but just remember that not everyone is open-minded.”

            Zack sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying Sephiroth’s affectionate touch. He had only been in one poly relationship, which also involved Sephiroth. The two invited him to join them, and they had been a wonderful threesome for longer than he expected. Therefore, having the nerve to tell somebody else that he was the one living the poly lifestyle scared him. He had never done it before. Sephiroth already had the experience on how to approach the subject with someone who never been affiliated with polyamory. Although it was with one person, it was still enough to get an idea on bringing it up mid-conversation. “I know, I know. I really think Cloud is a cool person.”

            “Yes, but don’t force him into something he may not like.”

            “Yeah…”

            Sephiroth kissed his forehead. “I’m going to let you go. Don’t let this consume you to where the date is ruined. Take it slow and understand him a little better.”

            Zack smiled and slightly nodded. “I will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it funny how this is almost turning into a circle of panic? Anyways, I really wanted to give a shot at writing Aerith. I remember her in the original game to be flirty, outspoken, and stubborn. I'm gonna try harder at getting her in character in the later chapters. I think the person who is most ooc would be Angeal. If you guys don't like his characterization, I'm sorry. Next chapter will be the dates, so it's probably gonna be short too. I hope this story is consistent though. (._.) Multi-chap fics are hard lol


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: heavy dialogue, plot writing attempt

            Cloud stood by the fountain located in sector eight, playing one of the freebie app games on his phone. He was getting a really high score until the app interrupted his gameplay with an ad. Frowning, he closed out of the app in anger and deleted it from his phone. He hated when he was disturbed in the middle of his gaming stride. Freebie apps were annoying as hell when it came to forced ads every six seconds to make the user buy the game out of frustration.

            Rolling his eyes, he went through the app store again for another game he could play while he continued to wait on Zack. He arrived at their meeting location about twenty minutes early because of the train’s schedule. If he took the next train, he would have been fifteen minutes late.

            Cloud found it funny that all it took was a prestigious internship in order to become punctual. During undergrad, he was always late for appointments, classes, group projects, anything related to his needed presence. His old job didn’t even care if he was late or early. Half of his coworkers would show up an hour or so later, and sometimes he had to pick up their shifts to keep the pizza deliveries going.

            As soon as he was hired as an intern, however, he quickly adjusted his schedule. The first night was rough, partly due to excitement of working for Reeve Tuesti, the other part was worry that he would fuck up on his first day and get kicked out. With only two hours of sleep, he somehow managed to do a good job via conversations with the team, and answering questions about his knowledge of architecture. It was as though his mother’s luck finally passed on to him.

            Speaking of his mother, he should reply to her letter. She didn’t have a cellphone, so he had to contact her the old fashioned way. Cloud hadn’t fully thought about what to say to her yet after she blatantly brought up the idea of becoming a grandmother. She hinted for a while now that she waited for him and Tifa to settle down and have children. He still hadn’t told her that they broke up over two years ago. Every time he and Tifa returned home for the holidays, they pretended to be a couple, much to their dislike. But it made their parents happy, and they were both scared to tell them the truth about their sexuality.

            _I’m getting old and it would be nice to know that my son and his girlfriend finally tied the knot! Then I can leave this earth knowing that you two are happy and started a beautiful family! Remember Laura? She’s now a mother of a beautiful baby girl! Her name is Trelee and I am not fond of that name. If you had to think of baby names, what would you suggest? Would you name your baby girl after your lovely mother?_

            Cloud read the letter aloud to Tifa, who quickly poured several glasses of alcohol to drown out her anxiety. It wouldn’t be long now before their parents visited and verbally bugged them about marriage and kids.

            The blond really needed to think of a way to approach the subject that he was gay and not interested in kids. Marriage was something hopefully in the future, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to adopt yet. Tifa said she was unsure herself, but Aerith wanted to adopt. Cloud asked her if she was interested in artificial insemination to experience the pregnant life and she gave him a funny look. He dropped the conversation and talked about something else. He still wondered if his wording was wrong.

            Cloud continued playing some obscure game on his phone until he heard quick footsteps approach him. He looked up and saw Zack running towards him.

            “Hey!” Zack said as he stopped a few feet in front of him catching his breath.

            The blond stared at his date’s simple blue crew neck t-shirt and black jeans and suddenly wished he went with a different outfit. Cloud wore the same outfit from Angeal’s date in order to avoid Tifa’s suspicion. Now he felt somewhat overdressed for this date… “Hey,” he finally said with a small smile.

            “I hope you weren’t waiting long. The parking garage was surprisingly full tonight,” he said with a slight frown on his face.

            “No worries. I entertained myself with some apps,” he held up his phone.

            “I hope you weren’t sneaking around on Love Twice when you got me,” he teased with mock anger.

            Cloud rolled his eyes with a smile. “I was playing games, silly.”

            “Yeah, playing games with my heart,” he sniffed and held a hand to his chest.

            “One minute, and you’re already jealous.”

            “I don’t get jealous, I get lonely. Don’t leave me on the streets, Cloudy!”

            “Oh my gods,” he covered his mouth to stifle a laugh. The nickname was cute, but Zack was being even cuter.

            They walked down Loveless Avenue and Zack led him to a bar that looked more like a hole in a wall compared to the restaurant Angeal took him last night. The student explained that the food was great and he visited the place a lot when he was drunk from partying at the nearby clubs.

            “They have this magic drink called ‘Potion’ that fixes your hangover in a heartbeat!”

            “From experience, I take it?” Cloud joked.

            “I like to party until the club shuts down.”

            Cloud tried to hide his excitement. “Do you club hop?”

            “You know it!” he replied with a wink.

            The blond wanted to shout in glee. He hasn’t had a club hopping partner in a long time. Cloud always ended up being the third wheel when he went with his friends because they either found someone to fuck for the night, or brought their current partners with them. He could count on one hand the number of times he had a one-night stand when he was peer-pressured into hooking up with someone. Even his exes didn’t club hop because they were already passed out drunk, or wanted to stick to one place. Now that can finally change with Zack as a potential club buddy and boyfriend. Fuck. Yes.

            They sat at the bar and Zack ordered for them. Cloud wanted a mojito and Zack decided on Jack and Coke.

            “I’m so glad you didn’t order a beer because I would have judged you so hard,” Cloud said.

            “What? You don’t like beer?” he asked as he rested his head in his hand.

            “It’s piss.”

            “How do you know what piss tastes like, you freak?”

            “Smells like it and it probably tastes like it too.”

            “You must have had cheap beer because it can be pretty good if you find the right company who makes them,” he said with a shrug.

            “I just don’t see how people can like it,” Cloud scrunched his nose.

            “Next time, I’ll take you to a brewery so you can try the real stuff. There’s one I know that hosts a lot of events.”

            “Fine, but if I don’t like it, we’re leaving immediately.”

            Their drinks were brought out to them. Cloud took the lime off the side of the glass and placed it on the napkin.

            “Want to switch citrus?” Zack asked as he held up a lemon.

            “How did you know I like lemons?”

            “I didn’t, but I like limes and I wanted to be fair. Gotta live up to my surname, you know.”

Cloud snorted and they switched citruses.

            “So, I wasn’t sure if you were from here when we met the other day, but now that I hear an accent, I’m _positive_ you’re not a native Midgar resident,” Zack gave the lime a few licks.

            The blond mentally cursed and looked away while sucking on his lemon. He’d been working hard on getting rid of his backwater town accent, but hasn’t had any success. Tifa managed to drop her accent in a year. It only came out when she returned home, or if she got mad about something. “Is it still that obvious…?” he muttered.

            “Yeah, but it’s cute. If it makes you feel any better, when I first came here, I felt like a dumb country boy each time I spoke,” he took a sip of his drink.

            That made Cloud look at him. “You’re from a small town too?”

            “Yup! It’s called Gongaga!” he exclaimed with a proud look on his face.

            He was so grateful that he didn’t drink when the name was said, or else he’d be choking. “Why would anyone be excited to say such a bumfuck name?” he pursed his lips to hold back the laughter.

            “Okay, where are _you_ from then?” Zack said as he squeezed the lime in Cloud’s face. It misted on his cheek.

            He laughed and jerked his head to the side.  “Nibelheim!” He shouted as he squeezed his lemon back at Zack.

            The student snickered and held his hands up in a defensive gesture, but some of the juice got on his face. “And you say my hometown is bumfuck. Yours sounds like it would only appear on the news if aliens were spotted,” he wiped his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

            “Fine, we’re both from bumfuck towns and have country accents,” he wiped his face. “What else do we have in common?”

            “We both like 7Neves, video games, and I can tell you want to go clubbing soon,” Zack gave him a wicked grin. He couldn’t _wait_ to see a drunk Cloud.

            The blond smirked back, an evil glint forming in his eye. He knew what Zack was thinking, and almost wanted to say, ‘Careful, I tend to get frisky when I’m drunk,’ but held it back. He’ll let that be a surprise. “Oh yeah, you’re supposed to tell me how you discovered them.”

            After Zack told him the story, they were interrupted by the bartender asking them if they were ready to order their food. Zack suggested that they split the bacon and cheese fries because the serving size was enough to feed Nibelheim. Cloud snorted and ended up choking on his drink, covering his mouth before he looked gross with spit all over his face.

            “Stop making fun of my hometown!” he said when he was handed a glass of water.

            Zack laughed and watched Cloud, really finding him adorable whenever he laughed. It’s going to be even harder when he eventually had to bring up Sephiroth. He liked the blond too much and hoped to every god known to man that he would be okay with an open relationship. “Sorry but, I’m having too much fun.”

            Their conversations were like a mile a minute, with Zack constantly asking Cloud different questions that led to different topics. The blond found it a bit challenging to keep up, but eventually predicted when the subject would change. Whenever it felt like the conversation was about to die, Zack would switch it up with something new. He was really good at keeping interest, which made Cloud ask, “Why did you want to become a lawyer?”

            “I changed my major like six times and finally decided that law was right for me after taking a political science class as an elective course,” he finished his drink and set the glass down on the drink coaster.

            “Hm, so which field of law do you want to specialize in?” Cloud asked as he idly ran his finger on the side of his glass.

            “I want to be a defense attorney because I believe in the old saying, ‘innocent until proven guilty’.”

            “Oh, so you’re one of those people who fight for fair trials and all that.”

            “Yeah, and my minor was in psychology because I need to understand my future clients and the shit they went through that made them possibly perform an illegal act.” The justice system could ruin lives for even the most minor offenses. Once that becomes known to future employers, it would be really hard to get a call back from them. “There will be moral challenges I will have to face, and it could also get emotional, but I’m willing to help people as best as I can.”

            Cloud watched Zack and noticed the serious expression on his face. Something about him made the blond see him in a different light. “It’s good to see more lawyers working to help, instead of just to make more gil.”

            “Well, yeah, the gil is nice, but I feel like that’s not a strong motivator when I’m trying to plan my lifelong career.” Then Zack had a thought. “Okay, how did you even nab an internship at Tuesti Industries?”

            He was startled by the sudden change in subject again. “It’s kinda a long story…”

            “Make it short then,” he said as he watched the bartender arrive with their plate of cheese and bacon fries.

            “Holy shit, you weren’t kidding!” Blue eyes widened at the huge plate. There was so much bacon that he couldn’t even see the fries. It was just… bacon. Aerith would be mad if she saw this. “I’m gonna have a heart attack.”

            “We’ll die young and full of bacon,” Zack said before grabbing a pinch of bacon bits and tossing them in his mouth. “Mmm!”

            Cloud decided to have manners and used the fork to take a fry he saw sticking out from the pound of bacon bits.

            “So, about your internship,” the student said as he pulled a fry covered in cheese and popped it in his mouth.

            “Well, I originally came to Midgar to become an artist. In my first semester of classes, one of my professors pointed out that I was really good at detailing buildings, cityscapes, and whatnot.” He put the fry in his mouth and chewed. Yum indeed! It was salty and had the melted gooeyness of the cheese and Cloud was gonna die a happy man. “She suggested that I switched to architecture when she asked me how my math class was going,” he swallowed the rest of his food.

            “You’re good at math too?” Zack asked with wide eyes.

            “Yeah. Even back at home, I’ve always been really good at it. But I liked art more. I didn’t think that I could combine the two.”

            “That’s pretty awesome.”

            Cloud gave him a sheepish grin. “Nah, I just have skills in those two subjects. You give me a biology lesson and I’ll probably tune you out.”

            Zack thought of Sephiroth and shook his head with a smile.

            “I switched to the architecture department and took an engineering class my second semester. Then I realized that I liked the physics and math involved behind it and moved over to the engineering department. I finally discovered architectural engineering.” This time he piled his fork with bacon and fries and ate it.

            “Wait, what’s the difference between architecture and the other?”

            He chewed for a moment before replying, “The engineering side is more applied and focuses on building functions such as lighting, ventilation, and so on. Architecture is more about aesthetics and spatial layout of the building the client could be interested in.”

            “Huh, and you decided math and physics were your thing over art?”

            “I know. Architectural engineering is heavy in those subjects, but I like it a lot. I still get the chance to do art when I am planning.” Cloud ate more fries. “I got my internship because my senior project was on creating a building using vehicle parts. My professor was so impressed that he contacted his friend at Tuesti Industries and showed him my work.” He swallowed. “Next thing I knew, I got an interview the following week, and an internship later on.” He really hated talking with his mouth full of food, but he figured Zack didn’t really care.

            “That is incredible, Cloud.” Zack was so busy paying attention to his date that he didn’t realize he still held the fry in his hand. The cheese was all over his thumb and he made a sound of annoyance before sucking it and reached for a napkin.

            “Yeah well, I won’t celebrate until Reeve himself hires me.”

            He released his thumb. “How long have you been there?”

            “Three months. And it’s full time, so I have to treat it like an actual job.”

            “Is it paid too?”

            “Yeah. I got it right after my last semester as an undergrad, so I didn’t have to worry about the unemployment window.” Cloud noticed that he already ate a lot of the fries. He decided to take a break and ordered another mojito.

            He asked more about Zack, feeling awkward that he talked a lot. Zack didn’t mind at all and answered his questions. They chatted for as long as they could until Zack noticed the time on the clock behind the bartender. “Ah, we should leave and get ready for Monday. You have a meeting too, right?”

            “Uh…” Cloud rubbed his forehead. “Oh yeah, I do…” It took him a moment to figure out what Zack was talking about.

            Frowning, the student gave Cloud a serious look then glanced at the empty glasses near Cloud. “Four glasses of mojitos, huh?”

            “Don’t worry, I’m just tipsy. I can still see and speak okay, it’s just my memory has slowed down.” Zack will know in the future how bad he got when drunk. “My tolerance is a lot higher than you think.”

_I’ll be the judge of that_. “I’ll drive you home. I don’t want you taking the train alone when your judgement is slightly impaired.” He signaled the bartender for the bill.

            “You’re so sweet, Zack.”

            They walked out of the bar with Zack carrying the leftovers. The blond wasn’t sure if he could eat any more bacon for the next week and declined the offer to split it. Zack poked fun at him for getting tipsy on a Sunday and not paying attention to how much he had to drink.

            “As my boyfriend, you should have intervened when I asked for a third mojito,” Cloud shot back.

            “Ohhhh, so I’m your _boyfriend_ now?” Zack threw his arm around his date’s shoulder and drew him closer as they walked down the avenue.

            He gave Zack’s hand near his face a playful bite. “Yeah, and now you won’t have to worry about being lonely.”

            Ah, shit! He still hasn’t told him about Sephiroth! “Well…” he began until he felt a tongue lick the back of his hand. “Hey! Cloud?!” he yelped as he jerked his arm back stopped walking.

            “What? Do you prefer I lick you elsewhere?”

            “Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

            “No, just horny,” he said it so casually as if he were talking about the weather.

            Is this a sneak peek of Drunk Cloud? If so, he will have a really hard time being a gentleman around him. “Don’t corrupt me.”

            He sauntered over to Zack, wrapping his arms around his waist and digging his hands into Zack’s back pockets of his jeans, squeezing his ass in the process. “As you live up to your surname, I must live up to mine,” he stood on the tips of his toes and planted an open-mouthed kiss on Zack’s lips.

            Zack made a surprised sound when soft lips met his. If he wasn’t holding his box to the side, he would have fully embraced Cloud and pulled him closer to his chest. Zack closed his eyes and kissed back, amused that Cloud tasted more like a mojito than the cheese fries.

            Their exchange later turned into sloppy licks and groping. Cloud never stopped grabbing his ass, and Zack found it awkward trying to reciprocate the touch with one hand. Their moment was interrupted when a passerby whistled at them and shouted, “Get a room!”

            The student immediately moved his head back and laughed at the random guy who gave him a thumbs-up as he casually strode by them.

            “I want more,” Cloud whispered, putting his forehead on Zack’s shirt. He was close to being legally drunk, but he didn’t feel completely out of control; just mentally slow and horny. Hopefully he wouldn’t have a major hangover in the morning.

            “We don’t have time.”

            “At least make out with me some more,” he finally moved his hands up underneath Zack’s shirt, amazed at how warm his skin felt against his fingers.

            “Cloud—”

            “Please,” he whispered as he looked up at him.

            Zack barely registered taking Cloud to an alleyway and continuing their kiss from earlier.

            The blond was a mixture between a devil and an angel. His innocent look combined with his sexual nature could make a man go insane. The way he pleaded and moaned into the kiss was enough to get Zack hard in record time.

            “You’re so hot…” Cloud whispered as he angled his head to the side to give his date more access to his neck.

            The student released the blond’s neck and wished the lights were bright enough for him to admire his new mark. “You are too.”

            “I meant your body is hot.”

            Zack smirked. “Thanks.”

            “That’s not—fuck it…” What he was trying to say was that Zack’s skin ran hotter than any other guy he had touched. It was almost like he had a fever, and Cloud wondered if Zack’s average body temperature was just higher than normal. He reached for the raven haired man’s zipper, but was stopped short when hands covered his.

            “You only wanted to make out,” he explained.

            “Can I suck you off?” his fingers barely touched the bulge in Zack’s pants.

            “No.” _I didn’t ask Sephiroth’s permission to perform any sexual act with you._

            “A handjob then.”

            “Look, I’m close— _reeeeeealllly close—_ to fucking you against this wall. But I don’t have any condoms or lube on me, and I don’t think it’s a good idea on the first date.”

            _That didn’t stop me with Angeal_. Cloud was reminded that his ass still needed a break after last night. If Zack tried anything, he’d probably be in the hospital. “We don’t need to have sex. We can just fool around a bit.” He wiggled one wrist free from the tight grip and cupped Zack’s bulge. “I want to give you an orgasm.”

“Oh gods…” he closed his eyes at the touch. “Please don’t make me lose control.”

            “What would happen if I did?”

            Sephiroth would be upset if anything sexual happened without his prior knowledge. He would _really_ be pissed off that Zack fucked around before telling Cloud about being in an open relationship. Zack mentally counted to ten and opened his eyes. “No. I… should take you home.” He needed Sephiroth’s permission before he went any further. He could not— _would not_ —break a rule with his boyfriend, no matter how hard Cloud tried.

            With a huff at Zack’s resistance, Cloud stopped trying to coax him and backed off. “Fine.”

            “It’s for the best. You’re not even fully sober.” He bent down to pick up his box of leftovers and grimaced when he saw a roach crawl out from the box. “Well there goes my lunch…” He tossed the box into the nearby dumpster and wiped his hands on his jeans.

            “You’re too nice, Zack,” Cloud said as he smoothed his clothes back to their proper place. “Most people would have let me get away with a blowjob.”

            “Yeah well…” he tried to think of unsexy things to make his dick go flaccid. Staring at Cloud wasn’t helping. “I may want to take things slow.” He turned around and stared at the ladder on the side of the building. Sephiroth had to give the green light first.

“I will love and hate that.” His original purpose on using Love Twice was to find a decent boyfriend who stuck around for more than two months and treated him with respect. Zack was definitely a nice guy, but at the same time, the slow build to finally having sex will be torturous. Good thing he got his bonus with Angeal last night, or else this weekend would be entirely full of sexual frustration.

            Shit. He shouldn’t be thinking like that.

            “Yeah, and I almost didn’t follow that idea,” Zack folded his arms across his chest. “I guess I’m old fashioned.”

            The blond shook his head. “Okay, if we plan on having this conversation, can we not do it in a smelly alley with your back facing me?”

            “Wait,” the student turned around and looked at him. “You’re not hard?”

            “I deflated as soon as you said no.”

            “Hah, nice choice of words.”

            “How can it take you so long when the mood is,” he gestured around them, “long gone?”

            “You’re cute and I really want to fuck you but…” he trailed off when he almost mentioned Sephiroth. He couldn’t do it yet.

            “But what?” Cloud frowned and shifted most of his weight to one leg.

            Zack opened his mouth and closed it several times. _Just fucking say it and get it over with!_ “I… uh…” he scratched the back of his head. Fuck. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell Cloud. The chance that the blond might walk away is still high. Zack had to understand him better before he revealed the big secret. Sephiroth said that it was wise to get it over with, but as he stood in front of that very person and attempted to reveal everything proved to be much harder. “I’m going to drop the conversation for now. Let me take you home.”

            “I have to pee.”

            “Fine, I’ll stand near the fountain and wait for you.” Then he added, “Taste your piss and tell me if it’s like beer.”

            “You are fucking gross,” but Cloud still laughed at his joke.

            Zack waited by the fountain while the blond handled his business. He pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Sephiroth a text:

            _We need to talk._

______________________________________________________________________________

 

            Sephiroth checked his watch for the umpteenth time. Genesis said that he would meet him at Pritchard’s at seven o’ clock. It was now seven thirty and the professor was nowhere in sight. Pulling out his phone from his pants pocket, he leaned back in the chair and crossed one leg over the other. He re-read the texts to make sure that he wasn’t at the wrong place, or was too early. No, it said that he was to be here at seven, and he used Genesis’s name to get the reserved table. So what was going on? Did something happen to Genesis?

            With a sigh, Sephiroth decided to check his other messages. Then he realized that he had very few friends compared to Zack, who made friends wherever he went. Most (if not all) of his text messages came from the student. He had a few colleagues from medical school who sometimes liked to call him up for a night of drinks and to discuss the latest medical news. However, they weren’t exactly fun outings like he had with Zack. The student never failed to surprise him with dates to the most random places like the animal adoption center, or the arcade. Those places were completely out of his element, but they still had a good time.

            The doctor was about to give up waiting and make a phone call before he spotted the auburn-haired man enter the front door.

            Genesis casually strolled over to the restaurant host’s podium and nodded at Charles. The man had worked in this restaurant for as long as Genesis could remember. Charles had been very helpful to Angeal when he first became a chef, and Genesis never forgot his kindness when they started hanging around the Lakefront. Charles was the one who told them about all of the best places to eat, and built Angeal’s network at other restaurants. “Good evening, Charles,” the professor said as he adjusted the beige scarf around his neck. Donned in a pattered grey sweater and white trousers, complete with dark brown dress shoes, he was content with his neutral-colored outfit for the night after debating and fussing with Angeal over which clothing combination was best. “Has my date arrived?”

            The older man clad in a crisp, black suit smiled. “Of course. He’s an interesting looking fellow,” he said as he glanced over at the silver-haired man who happened to be staring at Genesis.

             The professor returned the smile and didn’t bother to follow Charles’s line of sight. “Yes, I’m looking forward to my evening.”

            The host looked back at him, mentally questioning if this date was more than Genesis implied. It reminded him of Angeal’s companion last night. “Mr. Hewley was here last night with someone; though, he looked more like his student than a peer.”

            “I didn’t know he came here. He only told me that he was with his students for drinks around Lakefront.”

            Charles frowned. “Only one joined him, if I recall.”

            “Hm,” Genesis made a thoughtful expression. The other students probably cancelled on Angeal, and he didn’t want to make him worry that he hung around with only one man. Still, it would have been nice to know that it was a simple night with a student and nothing more. “I’ll ask him when I go home tonight,” he said with a weak smile.

            Charles gestured to ‘S’ who was still silently watching them. Genesis didn’t break eye contact with the man as he approached the table. For once in his life, he actually felt a twinge of jealousy towards his date. ‘S’ was much, _much_ more attractive than his profile let on. His all black attire added a bit of mysteriousness to his unique features. The professor wondered if he hid his face on Love Twice to tone down the numerous messages because of his androgynous look.

            It was hard to believe a man like this was still single.

            “Good evening,” Genesis spoke before seating himself across from his date.

            “Hello,” he replied.

            As Genesis got comfortable in his chair, Sephiroth studied him even more, definitely sure that he saw him somewhere before. “I have to ask this, but have we met before Love Twice?”

            He chuckled. “No, or else I’d _definitely_ remember you,” he said as his eyes searched his hair and face.

            Sephiroth subconsciously tossed his hair behind his shoulders. He was aware that his hair and eyes were … rare, and didn’t like it when people pointed them out. He didn’t want to be reminded of his early childhood.

            “Is your hair naturally silver, or are you going through a goth phase?”

            “Hmph,” he said, “it’s natural.”

            Now he wanted to see his pubic hair to confirm. “Interesting…” Genesis picked up the menu and thumbed through the pages. He already knew what he wanted, but needed to give ‘S’ time to decide. “Have you been here before?”

            “No. Not at this particular restaurant at least,” he preferred to go to the bakery not far from here and satisfy his sweet tooth. “Do you recommend anything?” He looked at the menu earlier and found a few dishes that piqued his interest.

            “Their bourbon-glazed salmon is delicious,” he suggested. Genesis would recommend the entire menu if he could.

            The waiter stopped by their table and asked their drink choice for tonight. Sephiroth ordered a cucumber gin and tonic cocktail while Genesis ordered water.

            “I don’t drink,” he explained after ‘S’ gave him a surprised look.

            They were quietly reading over their menus until the waiter returned with their drinks. Genesis watched ‘S’ take a sip of his cocktail and asked, “How is it?”

            “Spiked cucumber water,” he said with a shrug before setting his glass on the table.

            “Huh,” he said, sounding disappointed. “It’s a pretty popular drink here. Maybe the right bartender isn’t working tonight.”

            “I’ve been told that I tend to be an alcohol snob,” Sephiroth said.

            The professor’s eyes lit up at that. “Oh? We must discuss our alcoholic likes and dislikes.”

            “I thought you didn’t drink?”

            “I am great friends with a chef and taste-tested a lot of his recipes, be it alcohol or beef tataki.”

            There was a pause, and Sephiroth frowned at him. “So you drink…” One wouldn’t taste-test alcohol if he wasn’t a drinker.

            “I only _taste_ ; there is a difference.”

            _Amazing,_ Sephiroth thought to himself with a twitch of his lips. “Very well. We can talk about our alcohol preferences.

            They learned that their pallets were very similar when it came to alcohol. Sephiroth was amused at how Genesis knew so much about different alcoholic recipes and how certain fruits can truly bring out the flavors. Sephiroth wasn’t too fond of fruity drinks, but wouldn’t be opposed to them if offered to him. The doctor asked if this chef Genesis knew was a bartender as well. Genesis explained that the chef, or his childhood friend, was talented at making drinks with his meals.

            “You’ll have to introduce me to him sometime,” the silver-haired man said.

            The professor beamed at him, almost confessing that Angeal was more than a friend. “I’m sure he’d love to meet you.” Not yet. The waters needed to be tested a little longer.

            The waiter returned, asking if they were ready to order. Sephiroth asked for the bourbon-glazed salmon, while Genesis ordered avocado caprese chicken. When the waiter left again, the professor cleared his throat and asked, “Can I finally have your name?” He suspected that ‘S’ had a rare, unique name to go along with his look.

            “It’s Sephiroth.”

            Of course. “Just _who_ are your parents?”

            “They’re both doctors. Though one is dead, the other…” he frowned and shook his head. “Anyway, if you must know, my mother volunteered to be my father’s test subject for a medication he developed, not knowing she was pregnant with me at the time,” he gestured to his head. “ _This_ was the result.”

            From the tone of his voice, every person he met must have asked him the same questions. It wasn’t exactly rude to wonder how someone could be born with _silver hair_. “I see. So was it your mother, or father, that passed?” he asked before taking a sip of his water.

            “Unfortunately, it was my mother.” He wished it were his father instead.

            “I’m sorry.”

            “It’s in the past,” Sephiroth said with a wave of his hand.

            They sat in silence again until the doctor asked, “Well? I’ve shared a little about myself. Time for you to do the same.”

            Genesis snorted. “I’ll tell you the legal parts.”

            “Oh?” he questioned with a quirked eyebrow.

            “Maybe once you get to know me, I’ll reveal some dirty laundry,” he placed his elbows on the table and rested his head on laced fingers. “So? Where should I begin? How my parents met?”

            Sephiroth drank more of his cocktail and said after he moved the glass away from his lips, “This is not an interview for an autobiography.”

            With all the things he’d done, he could write one. “I’ll be short then.” He lowered his arms on the table and straightened his posture in his chair. “I come from a small town called Banora.”

            That caught him by surprise. “The place that created Banora white juice?”

            “Yes, and that was actually my idea.”

            “Hm,” he finished his cocktail. “You must get a nice share of the sales.”

            “It’s what got me through graduate school without having to worry about fees.” It also helped Angeal in culinary school, and from the period where he was unemployed.

            “What made you come to Midgar?”

            “Banora may look cute in the photos and on television, but it’s actually quite boring. My friend, Angeal, and I came here looking for work. I originally wanted to be a singer, but due to… certain mistakes, my dream was ruined so I became an instructor of literature.” He thought about all the people he used to know and wondered what they were doing now.

            “From singing to teaching about book genres,” Sephiroth set his glass full of partially melted ice on the table. “I hope you enjoy what you do.”

            “I worry about the future generation, but I actually love educating those poor souls the importance of literature.” He frowned when he thought about the exams. The class averages weren’t that great, and he needed to find a new teaching method soon or else he will have to fail a lot of students.

            Sephiroth thought about what he said earlier. “Have you performed at any local events?” Perhaps he could figure out where he saw Genesis before.

            “A few clubs actually. But most of my singing was done at the theatre on Loveless Avenue.” He hadn’t been there since he stopped performing _._ He missed a lot of his fellow actors and actresses. A few of them managed to keep in touch with him. Some of them didn’t want to be bothered with him anymore. Genesis was okay with not talking to them, but he still missed the friendships. “I was a stage actor.”

            The doctor covered his mouth and stared at him with an inquisitive expression. If Sephiroth wasn’t mistaken, then this man was actually… He dropped his hand. “You’re Gackt,” he almost said it like a question.

            Genesis perked up. He hadn’t heard that name in so long. “Yes? You’ve been to my shows?”

            “Some, yes. I knew someone who was a big fan of yours.” She was probably the biggest fan if Sephiroth had to compare her to the others. “Your hair was much longer. That’s why it took me a while to figure out where I’ve seen you before. You look much different with shorter hair.”

            The professor smoothed his hair back and smiled. “I actually like it this short. At first I thought I was going through a quarter-century life crisis when I decided to get it cut, but it really suits me better.”

            He nodded. “It looks good on you.”

            His smile never wavered at he glanced at his date. “You know, you’re the first person who recognized me after I quit performing.”

            “That’s unfortunate. I remember your voice to be quite pleasant,” he leaned back against the chair and folded his arms across his chest, crossing his legs in the process.

            Genesis thought about his guitar that was locked away in the storage closet. “I should sing for you sometime.”

            “I would be delighted.”

            That was a sign that their relationship would blossom, as Genesis predicted. As they continued to talk more about each other, the professor knew that Sephiroth would make a perfect third. They had a lot in common, and some of the things Sephiroth said reminded him of Angeal. It was too good to be true. Now all he had to do was admit that he was polyamorous.

            Almost an hour and a half later, they left the restaurant and Genesis asked Sephiroth if he would accompany him to the bakery before it closed for the evening. The doctor mentioned that it was his favorite place to buy tiramisu.

            Genesis was a little pissed that Angeal didn’t think to buy a slice of his favorite cake when he was here last night. Whenever they stopped by the Lakefront, they always went to the bakery afterwards because Genesis had a terrible sweet tooth. Angeal wasn’t a big sweets person, but he made sure to get him the Neapolitan cake piece if he happened to be in the area. The professor began to wonder if there was something going on with Angeal that he wasn’t aware of. He will ask him later. Right now, he wanted to enjoy his evening with their possible third.

            Sephiroth’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He automatically reached to check it and remembered that he wasn’t at work with his other phone. His eyebrows twitched at the message he received from Zack.

            _We need to talk._

            The tone in the message implied that something was wrong. Did Zack tell his date the truth and it ended badly?

            _I’ll call you tomorrow,_ he sent back.

            They sat on one of the benches that overlooked the “flake” as Genesis liked to call it. It was a combination of the words ‘fail’ and ‘lake.’ Angeal told him that in order to experience nature, they would need to be out of the city. Genesis refused to do any sort of camping because of the terrible evolutionary inventions known as bugs. If they rented a luxury cabin in the woods, then he would be fine with it. Otherwise, nobody would ever catch him near a tent.

            “Is something wrong with your cake slice?” Sephiroth’s question broke him out of his reverie. Genesis was frowning after he took a bite, and the silver-haired man wasn’t sure if it was from the cake, or from something else that was on his mind.

            “Apologies. I thought of something I needed to do later.” No pun intended.

            “Do you mind if we try each other’s desserts?” He kept eyeing the cake at the bakery, but didn’t want to pass up his tiramisu.

            “Sure.”

            Sephiroth thought Genesis would just hand the box over to him, but instead, he used his plastic fork to take a piece of the slice and held it out in front of his face. Taken aback by the gesture, he pushed his hesitance aside and slowly ate the cake piece that was on the fork. “Mm, it’s delicious,” he said while politely covering his mouth.

            Was the doctor’s sensual act of slowly pulling his lips away from his fork intentional, or innocent? Two can play that game. “My turn.”

            Sephiroth mimicked Genesis’s movements earlier and waited for him to try it. The auburn-haired man slowly and sensually took the piece off the fork and chewed. “Hm, not a big coffee drinker, but this isn’t so bad.”

            The doctor gave him a long blink as he watched him casually eat his dessert. A pink tongue darted out to lick the fork in a suggestive manner, and Sephiroth almost wanted to make a dirty joke.

            Genesis wasn’t done. He grabbed Sephiroth’s wrist and continued licking the tiramisu off the fork, his tongue rubbing between the tines.

            “Isn’t so bad, huh?” the doctor muttered as he watched him lick the utensil clean.

            He pulled away with a smack of his lips and replied, “I always eat every last bit.”

            “That’s interesting because,” he leaned forward until his lips brushed against the professor’s as he spoke, “you missed a spot.” Sephiroth licked the cream off the corner of his lips.

            _You tease._ His eyes fluttered close for a moment when the tongue ran halfway across his bottom lip before Sephiroth barely moved back. Blue eyes opened and stared into green ones, now noticing that Sephiroth’s pupils were shaped like a cat’s. Thick eyelashes framed his lidded eyes and Genesis almost had a heart attack over how _beautiful_ Sephiroth looked. “I would kill to have eyelashes like yours.”

            He smirked. “A lot of people say that to me. I guess I’ll consider them a part of my charm.”

            _Your entire face is a part of your charm, you beautiful son of a bitch._ “If you’re such a charmer, then why haven’t you kissed me?”

            “Because you’ll taste like tiramisu, and I’ll probably eat you.”

            Genesis leaned forward and whispered, “What if I want to be devoured?”

            “Is that one of your kinks?”

            “I prefer to wait until after a couple more dates before I have pillow talk.” He dropped the fork in the box and wrapped his arms around Sephiroth’s neck. “Kiss me and we’ll see if you’re worthy of being my bedmate.”

            Sephiroth didn’t hesitate as he closed the distance between them.

            Their kiss was a clash of opposites: Sephiroth being controlled and precise; Genesis being passionate and dominating. The doctor finally relented and allowed him to guide their lips in a sensual dance. Genesis pushed his tongue between Sephiroth’s lips, and rubbed it against the other’s. He used his teeth to bite down on a soft, bottom lip and gently tugged at it before releasing it and rubbing his tongue over the fresh indentions.

            Sephiroth remembered that the professor wanted to be devoured, and finally took back his control, sucking on his tongue and rubbing his hands up and down Genesis’s chest. He heard a moan and wasn’t sure if it was from him or the other man.

            Genesis’s body felt like it was on fire. Somehow, Sephiroth’s kiss and touch were coaxing him to hardness. He hadn’t kissed anyone outside of Angeal in a _long_ time who could do that to him. It was fucking hot, and he knew—so knew—that Sephiroth would be _perfect_.

            The silver-haired man was the first to pull back to breathe. He stared at Genesis, whose face was flushed and lips red and full. Even with the dim lighting, he could see just how gorgeous the man looked after a heated kiss. His mind briefly went further, imagining his expressions in the middle of sex.

            “Well that was nice…” Genesis whispered as he touched his lips.

            “It was better than I expected.” Sephiroth’s voice was a touch deeper.

            The professor sighed and swiped his bangs out of his face. “Before I go any further, I wanted to share a fun fact about myself.”

            He only stared, waiting for him to continue.

            Time to get it over with. “I’m in an open relationship.” He wouldn’t elaborate any further until Sephiroth showed interest and asked questions. If not, then he will leave without a second thought.

            Green eyes widened and he covered his mouth to suppress a laugh that managed to escape his lips.

            Genesis frowned. This wasn’t the reaction he expected. “What’s so funny?” he asked in a threatening tone.

            “My ap-” he coughed, “-apologies…” He closed his eyes and silently counted to three to collect himself. “All of this morning I have been mentally practicing how to approach the subject in the middle of a conversation.” His eyes opened and bore right into blue ones. “I too am in an open relationship.”

            His mouth fell open. Well that justified his beliefs that Sephiroth wasn’t single. What are the chances of them _both_ being in open relationships when they didn’t even mention it on their profiles? He had a feeling that Love Twice worked as a gamble rather than using its ‘superb matching system.’ “Oh my gods, I feel like I won the lottery.” Genesis couldn’t wait to gloat at Angeal.

            “How many people are you already seeing?” Sephiroth asked as he noticed sometime during the kiss, he dropped his fork on the ground. He closed his box and sighed. He’ll eat the rest of his dessert tomorrow.

            “Just one. You?”

            “Likewise.”

            “This can go many different directions because Angeal and I are looking for only one person. But you already have someone as well which means we can ultimately become a foursome.” He really needed to have a long talk with Angeal again because plans have changed. Genesis wasn’t opposed to the idea of having an extra person outside of the third, as long as everyone was okay with seeing each other. In the past, the professor and his lover fooled around with a lot of different men to the point where it was impossible to keep up with everyone. No boundaries had ever been set, causing a lot of fights and breakups. He wasn’t sure if Angeal was willing to add a fourth person after previous similar circumstances almost caused _them_ to split.

            Ah, so Angeal the chef is his partner. “Hmm,” Sephiroth tucked his hair behind his ear. “Actually, my boyfriend just started dating someone as well.” Hopefully the text wasn’t a warning sign that the date wasn’t going smoothly.

            “A fivesome then.”

            He smirked. “You sure are confident about forming an exclusive club.”

            “Yes, I am planning ahead. Except Angeal, we are all seeing another person. What if there’s more chemistry between our lovers when we all finally meet? We need to have a conversation with our current boyfriends as soon as possible.” He was not going to pass up the opportunity of forming a strong relationship with other men again. Genesis learned a lot in therapy and he was definitely open in trying again, only that he will make sure to include communication and trust as the main focuses of this new group. But he needed to make sure Angeal was okay with it as well. Can’t have fun with an unwilling lover.

            Zack would probably like Angeal more because he can cook and make good cocktails. Hopefully there will be more to Angeal than what little Sephiroth knew about him. He suspected that Zack and Genesis would clash a few times because their personalities are similar in a different way. If that made any sense. Genesis was blunt and obviously very self-centered. Zack was a little less domineering, yet outspoken as well. Genesis said what was on his mind to cause harm. Zack liked to be blunt because he was brutally honest. Their relationship would be interesting in the future if they ever meet. “I agree with your suggestion. However, I do not know if his date is willing to participate in the polyamory lifestyle, or if he already has one. Tonight is his first night out with him.”

            “Then we will plan to be a fivesome, or a moresome.”

            “How much is too much?”

            “That’s for our lovers to decide as well.”

            “I’ve never had more than two lovers at the same time.” Then again, his first relationship became poly and introduced Zack into his life. So technically Zack is his second lover. “Three will be… a novel approach.”

            Genesis smiled. “You mean four.”

            “I’ll be the judge of that when I hear how the date went.”

            The professor checked his watch and sighed. “It looks like our time is up. I have classes and you have clients.”

            “I’m thinking about taking a week off soon,” Sephiroth said as he stood. “Spring break isn’t too far off.” He gave him a knowing look. Zack should have time off during that period as well.

            “I’ll have to check my schedule. Angeal is a chef instructor, and his school’s break is right after mine.”

            Sephiroth tilted his head to the side. “Of course.” He picked up his box and stood. “I _do_ want to get to know you more before I meet Angeal.

            _Was he implying that he wanted me all to himself during his vacation?_ Genesis made a smug smile and stood, holding his half-eaten dessert. “Then I guess I’ll have no choice but to make time for you.”

            “Good,” he yanked Genesis’s scarf to pull him closer. “Because I want to be familiar with _all_ of you,” he whispered before placing another kiss on his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: *huffs* I'm kinda lukewarm about this chapter. I was hesitant on posting it until I finally stopped editing it 300000 times. I had it going in many different directions, such as some heavier Clack and Sephesis (is that the ship name?). Something doesn’t feel right and I can’t figure out what it is. I’m starting to wonder if this is a plot point chapter and I’m too slow to realize it.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: 81 kudos!!!! I thank you guys so much for sticking with this and reading my terrible writing! The comments, hits, and kudos mean a lot to me. You have no idea ;__; This chapter will be a lot like chapter 4.

        Zack was grateful that Sephiroth met him during his lunch break. Sephiroth’s clinic was in sector seven, not far from The Lakefront, and he drove all the way downtown to discuss their dates from last night at a small deli shop. There were a lot of university students in the place, and Zack managed to nab a table in the corner for a little more privacy.

“I was so close to fucking him…” the raven haired student said before nibbling on his potato chip, thinking back to Cloud’s demeanor. “He was tipsy and begging me and I almost _caved_ , Seph.”

“I’m proud that you didn’t listen to your other head, Zack,” Sephiroth said as he stirred his soup, “because I would have been angry that you slept with him before you asked me.”

“Which is why I called for an emergency meeting!” He finished his chip. “Do I have your permission to sleep with him if he tries again?”

The doctor held the spoon full of soup near his mouth. “Have you told him about me?”

“…No.”

“Then no,” he said before eating his soup.

Zack whined and placed both of his hands on the table. “Why not?”

Sephiroth swallowed and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Because I do not like you having sex with him before he is aware of us being in an open relationship.”

“But—”

“Zack. You know it’s wrong to hide secrets with someone you’re dating,” he took a sip of his tea.

“So in order for me to bang Cloud, I have to tell him that I’m also banging you, and he has to be okay with it?” he folded his arms across his chest and slumped in his chair.

The doctor moved the mug away from his lips. “Not my choice of words, but yes.”

“What if Cloud doesn’t like it? What if he tells me to stop seeing you?”

Sephiroth gave him a disapproving look. “I think you know the answer to that.”

Zack let out another frustrated sound and tilted his head back until it hit the window. “I really like Cloud. He’s so cute and we had _such_ a good time last night!” He ran his hands through his hair and leaned forward. “I don’t want our relationship status to scare him, Seph.”

“That’s his problem, not yours.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

The silver haired man sighed and placed his mug on the coaster. “Remember, I said to take it slow if you don’t want to tell him yet. Don’t let your relationship focus only on sex. Get to know him better and see if he’s a lot more… liberal than you think,” he thought of Genesis and suppressed a smile. “However, do not drag this out to where he falls in love with you. It could end badly if he’s monogamous.”

“I don’t know if I can hold out around him,” he dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. “Let me show you who I’m dealing with,” he loaded the Love Twice app.

Sephiroth patiently waited and took a few bites of his salad before the phone was handed to him. He wiped his hands on his napkin and took the phone, his eyebrows rising in surprise. “Well no wonder…” was all he could say.

Zack tossed his arms up. “See? He’s so cute and _fuckable_!” he muttered the last word through gritted teeth to avoid unwanted attention.

Sephiroth had to admit that his boyfriend had a lot more willpower than he thought because Cloud was definitely fuckable.  He almost rescinded his words because he also doubted Zack could hold back from Cloud. That face looked so young and… _innocent_. But after what Zack told him, Cloud sounded more like someone who took advantage of his looks to trick people. The young blond may _already_ be corrupted. “Then,” he handed the phone back to Zack, “you should tell him and see what happens next.”

“Oh so _now_ you see my dilemma and want me to get it over with?” he said as he pocketed his phone.

“I’m giving you options. Tell him now, or test the waters a little more and then tell him, but do not have sex with him until both of you are on the same page.”

The student pouted and rested his elbows on the table. He picked up another potato chip and ate it. He was really stuck in a shitty predicament, all because he didn’t know if Cloud would stay or run away. Was he being a wuss over Cloud’s reaction? Most likely. “Okay. I’ll wait until the right moment to tell him before I get frisky.”

Sephiroth could understand Zack’s problem, but at the same time, he didn’t see the need in refraining from admitting the truth. He predicted that Cloud would get upset that Zack waited so late instead of telling him upfront. If Zack claimed that they were a lot alike, then he shouldn’t have to worry as much about telling the truth. “If you need a bit of hope, my date with Genesis went much better than expected,” he picked up his mug again. “Genesis is also in an open relationship.”

Zack’s eyes widened. “What? For real?”

“Yes, for real,” he stated with amusement after he drank his tea. “He’s going to talk to his lover about possibly making us a foursome.” Then he corrected himself, “Or fivesome if you tell Cloud.”

“Whoa!” the student held his hands up. “A four-maybe five- person relationship? That sounds… crowded.” He dropped his arms in his lap. How the hell did that work? Do they just group text each other every day? Who will sleep where? And how can five men have sex at the same time? He saw it on a porn site once, and it was too messy for him to fully enjoy his masturbatory session.

“I was surprised as well, but I thought about it last night and I’m not opposed to it.” He liked Genesis and believed that he will enjoy Angeal’s company too. It would be fun to see how two couples interact as friends and lovers. And if Zack’s cute little blond joined, it would be even better. “I think five will be my limit, but I want to know Genesis first before Angeal.” He thought about what he said to Genesis last night. “By the way, do I have your permission to sleep with Genesis? Or do you want me to wait?” He already knew the answer, but wanted verbal confirmation.

Zack narrowed his eyes. “Is this a test?”

“I’m merely asking you a question.”

He sighed and rubbed his neck. It would be petty of him to deny Sephiroth the right to sleep with Genesis, just because he had his own issues with Cloud. But it’s not fair that Sephiroth got lucky and met someone cool while he still had to figure out how to approach the topic with Cloud. “I don’t know…” he buried his head in his hands and placed his elbows on the table.

That… wasn’t the response he expected. “You’re really torn about this, aren’t you?”

“I’m trying to be a nice boyfriend and say, ‘yes,’ but the other side of me is saying ‘hell no’.” He slowly moved his hands down and pouted again.

“Then let me say this. I plan on taking a vacation during your spring break. Genesis will be off during that period because he’s a professor at the university. All three of us should go out of town.”

The student stared at him in shock. “Wait, I thought you wanted to get to know Genesis first?”

“I have an idea, and I’m curious to see if you’re okay with it.”

“Alright,” he leaned back in his chair, waiting for him to continue.

“Genesis and I spend that Monday through Friday in Junon. You and Angeal come in Friday night. Then we all leave on Sunday afternoon,” he finished the rest of his tea.

Zack almost blushed. “Are you implying what I think you’re implying?”

“I’m just following through with Genesis’s idea. But that’s if all of us agree to this proposal.” Sephiroth silently stared at Zack, running through the thoughts in his head. He finally asked, “If everyone wants in on the trip, are you willing to sleep with Genesis and Angeal? And are you okay with me being with them as well?”

He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Seph, you’re killing me!”

“I need to know now before I run this idea by Genesis.”

Zack folded his arms across his chest and stared at his half eaten sandwich. _If_ he agreed to all of this, then he needed to tell Cloud first. It would be wrong to have some sort of orgy behind his back. Though, if he _didn’t_ tell him, then he could still have Cloud on the side while fucking around with other men. He shook his head. “I need more time to think on this.” Spring break wasn’t for another month. “Give me a week and I’ll let you know on what I decide.”

Sephiroth nodded. “Of course.” He admired Zack for being mature about this. The Zack Sephiroth met four years ago was completely different than the Zack sitting in front of him. “I’ll give you two weeks to think it over while you’re busy with school.” And maybe he will finally have the courage to tell Cloud during that time.

The student shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “Thanks.”

He checked his watch and frowned at the time. He had about five minutes to get back to the clinic. He will have to call his secretary and tell her that he will be late for his client’s appointment. “I have to go,” he said as he abruptly stood and gathered his trash.

Zack stood as well, putting everything on his tray. He felt a little guilty for wasting food, but he was so engrossed with this whole foursome or fivesome thing that he wasn’t really all that hungry. “Thanks for coming out here.”

“Anything for you,” Sephiroth whispered before he kissed him.

______________________________________________________________________________

Cloud thanked whoever invented makeup because it did a good job at hiding the hickey he got from Zack. This morning, he asked Tifa to fix it for him when he realized that he couldn’t cover it with one of his shirts unless he flipped the collar. And he didn’t own any scarves because it didn’t get super cold in Midgar compared to Nibelheim. He thought about using a large bandage, but that would arouse questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. 

Tifa teased him all morning as she applied her makeup to his neck. Her skin tone was a little paler than his, which made her use her creative side and mix one of her eyeshadow pallets with her concealer. Then she used her setting spray, explaining that it should hold throughout the day.

And it fucking did! Cloud asked her if they could stop by the beauty store downtown after their day ended to purchase concealer in his skin tone, just in case Zack became a vampire again on the next date. While they shopped, he gawked at the prices, saying that he should have gone into the makeup business instead of engineering.

“Yeah, but most of my makeup lasts a long time,” she said as they approached the train station.

“Sixty gil for a tiny ass tube of concealer and setting spray?” he frowned as he looked inside his bag.

“Again, you’re supposed to use a small amount. Plus, I doubt Zack will give you _that_ many hickeys,” she smirked at him.

They arrived back to their apartment. Tifa said that she would make dinner before their TV show came on in an hour. Cloud sat on the couch and turned on the television.

“So, now that you’re sober, tell me how the date went with Zack.” Cloud looked a little drunk when he came back last night.

“I can’t believe I drank that many mojitos,” he slumped down in his seat with the remote in his lap.

“And Zack didn’t stop you?” she asked as she glanced at him.

“That’s what I said and all he did was laugh it off!” Cloud’s head tilted backwards until he stared at the ceiling.

“At least he was nice enough to drop you off,” she turned back to the cutting board.

“Yeah he was really nice and funny. We talked a lot about ourselves.” Zack was such a good conversationalist, actually better than Angeal. Cloud wondered if it came to him naturally, or if he was taught as a law student. “Perhaps he may be _too_ nice though…” he pouted.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I tried to get him to do any kind of sexual act with me and he turned me down.”

Tifa snorted. “That’s _good_ , Cloud.”

“He said he wanted to take things slow because he was old fashioned. That means I have to be a good boyfriend and not give him movie theatre handjobs.”

She rolled her eyes. “If I remember correctly, you were the one who said that you were tired of the guys you dated only wanting sex. You wanted an actual relationship that lasted longer than a month. Zack may be what you’re looking for, yet you’re mad that he won’t be sleeping with you anytime soon.” She sliced the carrots into little sticks, the way Cloud liked them. “You’re contradicting yourself, you know.”

He glared at the television, suddenly wishing he could time travel and punch himself for telling her. “I don’t know…” he sighed and leaned sideways until his cheek hit the seat cushion next to him. At first, he was excited that two men were interested in him, and decided to have a little fun. However, when he got fucked by Angeal, he realized that he missed having good _sex_ rather than a good _relationship_. Many of his past relationships were weak in the sex department. The guys were mediocre in bed and nonexistent when it came to trying to get at least another date out of them. Then Angeal and Zack came along and Cloud quickly realized this morning that Zack was what he secretly craved; versus Angeal who gave him what he _used_ to have when he first started dating other men.

Fuck, he was in trouble. He only went on one date with each of them and he was already _stuck_. He couldn’t choose between them because he was getting the best of both worlds. Zack was fun; Angeal inspired him. Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!

“Give Zack a chance. I already like him and I haven’t even met the guy yet,” Tifa said. He would be good for Cloud.

“I’m not gonna dump him. I’m just gonna be sexually frustrated for the next month or so.” Unless he went to Angeal… Which was exactly what cheating meant. His mother taught him better than that.

“I think it will be worth it,” Tifa swiped the vegetables from the board into the skillet.

_Yeah, if I don’t end this soon._ _Otherwise, shit will hit the fan._ “I guess…”

_____________________________________________________________________________

        “You want to  _ what _ now?”

“Make this a foursome.”

Angeal turned away from the television with a shocked expression. “A foursome,” he repeated, doubt creeping in his voice.

“Well, make it five because Sephiroth’s boyfriend is also seeing someone,” Genesis tapped the book against his chin in thought. He rested horizontally on the couch with his legs stretched across Angeal’s lap.

The chef was fine when he heard that Genesis’s date went well, and was relieved to know that Sephiroth was also in an open relationship; but he had to intervene at the part where Genesis suggested adding more people. “We did that before and you remembered what happened, Gen.”

“Yes, it got too big and eventually exploded. I remember because I was caught in a lot of crossfires,” the professor frowned at his lover.

“Sooo… why do you want to add more people again?”

“Because Sephiroth is also in an open relationship, and if he’s going to be our third, then we need to welcome _his_ lover too.”

“But then his lover is also dating someone. And we don’t know if this fifth is seeing someone,” he scratched the bridge of his nose. “How many is too many?”

Genesis smirked. “Sephiroth said the same thing.”

“Great, then he is on the same page as me.” He lowered his hand.

“Times have changed. We’re a lot better than before and even went through therapy to get our acts together. We now know how to manage a polyamorous relationship because we’re much more mature now.”

Angeal looked back at the television and nervously began rubbing Genesis’s legs. His fingers slid underneath the bottom of one of the pants’ leg and glided along smooth skin. This was bad because he originally had Cloud as a backup just in case things didn’t work out with Sephiroth. Now, Genesis was thinking about adding more people, and he wasn’t even aware of what Angeal had already done. Angeal broke a few big rules in their relationship, and he didn’t know how to fix them. Should he just secretly cut off ties with Cloud, and go with the group relationship? Or should he finally admit that he slept with Cloud without Genesis’s knowledge and permission? “I don’t know…”

Genesis heard the doubt in his voice and couldn’t really blame him after their previous affairs. But if they were going to continue to be polyamorous, then they needed to allow more people into their lives. It would definitely have to be five—no more. Besides, not that many people were into open relationships. There was no way this fifth person was seeing anybody else. “I know you were okay with a third because of what I said last week, and now plans have changed. But think about the fact that Sephiroth is also being mature about this and asking his boyfriend. Our previous lovers never bothered to communicate.”

The chef nodded. “True.”

“And Clint was a fluke. He didn’t know what he wanted,” he shifted on the couch and placed the book in his lap.

“Hm, he did, he just didn’t like the idea of me having another lover,” Angeal’s eyes slightly widened. What if Genesis reacted the same way as Clint if he found out about Cloud? _Shit_.

“He was selfish. It would be different if you didn’t tell us about that guy you were with, but you did and he still threw a fit like some hormonal teenager.”

_Double shit!_

“Angeal, you’re hurting me,” the professor winced at his grip.

He looked down and removed his hands from underneath the pants leg. “Sorry.”

Dark blue eyes carefully watched the other man as he flipped through the channels on the television. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

Angeal tensed and he paused in his channel surfing. “Why the sudden change of topic?”

“Oh I don’t know,” he tilted his head to the side, “You’ve denied me sex yesterday, which you’ve _never done_ might I add, and I found it interesting that your night-out-with-friends story changed _twice_.”

The chef could feel the suspicion creep along his spine. “What do you mean, twice?” he asked as he looked at him. Genesis gaze was so intense that Angeal struggled not to look away. 

“You said that you were going out with your little chef friends on Saturday, one of them being James. But James was out of town, so suddenly you said that it was with your students. _Then_ I was informed by Charles last night that you were only out with one person,” he narrowed his eyes. “You’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”

Angeal wanted to throw up. Genesis hit the nail on the head with his accusations, and if he continued digging, then the chef would have to confess. But he _couldn’t_. Genesis was not in a good mood at this moment, and admitting the truth while the professor was a ticking time bomb was a bad idea. Angeal needed to wait for when Genesis was more relaxed. His lover’s anger was not to be taken lightly. “Listen, I was originally going with some students, but all except one bailed on me at the last minute. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure how you felt about me being alone with one man.” Gods, he needed more time to prepare his talk with Genesis because these lies were getting harder to construct on the spot.

That’s exactly what he figured that happened, but he wanted to hear from Angeal’s own mouth. Though, why did they _all_ cancel at the same time? Silently counting to ten, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths, remembering his therapy sessions on how to control his anger. “You know I love you and trust you. All you had to do was pick up your phone and tell me.”

_I couldn’t because I did more than have a nice dinner with this person._ “I’ll remember that next time. Guess I was a little scared.”

He opened his eyes, feeling much more relaxed than a minute ago. He maneuvered himself to curl by Angeal’s side, and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, pressing their cheeks together. “I know we’ve both made bad decisions in the past, but that didn’t stop us from loving each other,” he whispered. “Don’t keep things from me anymore, Ange.”

Right then and there, he wanted to tell him everything that happened on Saturday. But once again, he choked on his words. He shouldn’t try to clean things up when he wasn’t fully prepared to have explanations. _Please, just give me a little more time_. Angeal remained silent and rubbed one of Genesis’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I was going to post chapters 6 and 7 together but I’m kinda lagging on 7 because I wrote it while I was drunk from this festival last weekend (that was a saga right there), and I’m trying to figure out where the hell I was going with the scenes. Editing drunk writing is like trying to put a puzzle together. I PROMISE there will be some hard Clangeal (ship name???) in the next one. Hopefully I can get it done this weekend……………..maybe……………


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Hard yaoi, light yuri, slight OOC

            “Dammit!” Angeal exclaimed as he stared at the ‘call ended’ message on his phone. That was the fifth person in his contacts who said that they couldn’t make it to the First Annual Midgar Wine Festival.

            He planned this two months ago, originally with Genesis, but the man chose Sephiroth over him. For the past two weeks, Genesis spent more and more time with Sephiroth; from lunch dates to bunking over at his place during the weekend. Genesis informed Angeal that he wasn’t allowed to have sex until Sephiroth’s boyfriend, Zack, agreed. Angeal couldn’t help but wonder if they found other ways to sexually satisfy each other.

He regretted allowing Genesis to familiarize himself with Sephiroth after the discovery of the man’s open relationship. Whenever Genesis had the chance, he would talk about how intelligent Sephiroth was, or how his extensive knowledge of art and literature made conversations last for hours. It’s almost as if he found his fine arts doppelganger. Hopefully this ‘relationship high’ wouldn’t last long because it all started to annoy Angeal. However, he didn’t want to ruin his lover’s fun with his own insecurities. If it got worse, the chef will finally step in and say something.

            Sighing, he ran his hand through his hair and stared at his contact list. Surely there was someone who could go in Genesis’s place? His eyes lingered on Cloud’s name. They haven’t spent any time together since The Lakefront, only chatted via text. He wondered if the blond was willing to attend the wine festival with him-- _if_ he had any free time today. If he didn’t, then Angeal will unwillingly go by himself.

            Deciding to give it a shot, the chef called Cloud’s number and prayed to Gaia that he picked up his phone.

            After a few rings, a familiar voice could be heard on the other end. “Hey!”

            “How are you?” the chef asked as he relaxed his shoulders in relief.

            “Good!” Cloud was happy to hear Angeal’s voice. He felt terrible for ignoring the man for Zack, but Zack was just so much fun to hang out with. Cloud made sure to keep Angeal informed with fabricated stories about being with his friends. He honestly spent one Sunday with them at the mall, but the past two weekends had mostly been with Zack. He obviously couldn’t tell the chef about him or else everything would go to hell. “Listen, I’m so sorry for not making time for you. I really have no excuse outside of being dragged around by Za- I mean, my friends.”

            “Don’t worry about it.” Genesis was doing the same thing, so this was nothing new. “I called because I wondered if you were interested in going to the Midgar Wine Festival with me today.”

            “You know, Tifa and her girlfriend asked me to go with them, but I haven’t decided yet because I don’t care much for wine.” They told him to meet them there if he changed his mind. He joked that it would be hard to locate them if there were large crowds. Tifa said that her ringtone for him was the loudest 7Neves song ever produced and she tested its volume at a club once. “But you asking me suddenly made me decide on going.” He texted Zack earlier to see if he had any free time today, but the student declined because he procrastinated on a presentation for his class on Monday.

            Angeal smiled. “Glad I can be your decision maker.”

            “Uh, I’m weary about crossing paths with Tifa while I’m with you. I don’t know how she’ll react, knowing that I’m dating you.”

            “You haven’t told her?”

            _She knows about Zack._ “Not really.”

            He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Fine. What excuse do we need?”

            “Say that I got lost and found you. You’re there to find good wines for your recipes, or whatever you chefs do with them. Then we decided to walk around together until we spotted her.”

            “Wow, you’re really good at this.”

            “It’s bad, I know. But please wait until I tell her first.” _I have to figure out how the fuck I’m gonna explain that I’m dating two men at once without admitting that I’m dating two men at once._

            “Alright, alright. I’ll give you time. It’s honestly not a big deal because you’re not my student, she is.”

            “Yeah, but…” Tifa wouldn’t care if he were only dating Angeal. _But_ there’s this thing about two-timing, and that wouldn’t sit well with her. “Honestly, I wanted to wait until things got serious and formally announce our relationship.” That was another lie. He should start a lie jar and put one gil in it every time he told a fib. He’d probably have enough to go to Costa by the end of the month.

            “Ah, take it slow.” Though, they weren’t doing any of that back at The Lakefront.

            “Y-yeah…” Cloud scratched the back of his head, thinking about Zack.

            Angeal stood from his chair and walked out of the dining room. “Okay then, we’ll make the excuse and go from there.” He walked up the stairs. “You’re still wanting to go?”

           “Of course. Let me take a shower and I’ll be ready.” Cloud was already at his closet. “Did you want me to meet you there somewhere?”

           “I’ll pick you up. Send me your address and I’ll use my phone GPS.”

           “Sounds good!”

______________________________________________________________________________

 

            Cloud and Angeal strolled along the downtown streets of Midgar holding their empty wine glasses they received at the ticket booth. Angeal asked Cloud’s age when he was given a red colored wristband, stating that he was of legal drinking age. The blond replied and Angeal laughed, giving his age in return.

            “I’m pushing it,” he said.

            Cloud frowned. “We’re only ten years apart. Plus, I’m an adult.”

            “Yeah, but consider that I was already old enough to drink at the age where you didn’t start puberty.”

            He rolled his eyes. “We met _afterwards_ , Angeal.”

            They gazed at the various booths of wines from different areas of the world. Cloud noted that this part of downtown looked a lot different with the vendors and people crowding major intersections as if it were a park. He could see the university’s student center building not far from where he stood.

            “You know, I’m surprised that they’re holding the wine festival around spring when the best time to purchase wine is during autumn,” he said.

            “Probably avoiding the scheduling conflict with Kalm’s Harvest Festival. Midgar’s festival in the spring is a good way to get customers interested in traveling to wineries of their choice during the summer months,” he rubbed his chin, thinking that it would be a nice idea to take a vacation to a winery. He’d have to figure out who to take with him though.

            “Oh, I see. Must be nice during the summer.”

            “Yes. It’s quite beautiful.” He only went to one winery in Mideel with Genesis a couple of years ago, and they had a lot of fun.

            Cloud glanced down at his wine glass. “I wonder which we should try first?” He was glad that he wore a black shirt and dark jeans. If any wine spilled on him, it wouldn’t show and look tacky. Angeal on the other hand was brave in wearing a white crew-neck shirt that stretched tight over his muscles, and faded blue jeans. Cloud almost moaned when Angeal got out of his car. The man was fucking _hot_ no matter what he wore.

            “I know a couple of personal favorites that you can taste.” Angeal held up the small map and eyed the wine vendor names. “There’s one from Wutai that has fantastic red wine.”

            They eventually located the booth and handed their tickets for a sample. Cloud took one huge gulp of his wine and swallowed it.

            “Huh…” he said as he smacked his lips. “That was smooth.”

            “Yes, that’s what makes it delicious,” the chef said before taking a sip of his wine. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the flavor. “And you can taste various fruits.”

            “You’ve got to teach me how to tell good wine from the bad.”

            “Well,” he opened his eyes, “We’re here, so let’s have a crash course.”

            They tasted wine from vendors Angeal was familiar with. The chef told Cloud all the facts about wine and how it’s processed. He also explained how to carefully select the perfect wine for dinner parties. Cloud wished he had a piece of paper for note-taking. Angeal laughed and said that he would let him borrow a book of his.

            They drank until they ran out of tickets. Angeal offered to purchase more, but Cloud declined his offer.

            “I wanted to check out some of the artist showcases,” he said.

            As Angeal and Cloud stopped and admired an art piece for sale, Cloud heard his name being called by a familiar voice. Tensing his shoulders, he slowly turned around and saw Aerith running up to him and crashing into his chest for a hug.

            “Oh my gods, you actually came!” she lifted her head and gave him a toothy grin.

            He could already tell that his friend was drunk. “Aerith, how many full glasses did you have?” He searched her face, noticing that it was a lot more flushed than when she left the apartment earlier.

            “I lost count after four,” she moved back and smoothed down her red sundress.

            “She had enough for an entire bottle,” Tifa said as she approached them, carrying a large beige bag with the words ‘Midgar Wine Festival’ written in black letters. She wore a white button down shirt tucked into leather pants, and red high heels. Her hair was pulled up in a tight ponytail.

            “Hold on, where did you get that bag?” Cloud asked as he pointed at it.

            “They were giving it out over by the food section,” she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “But don’t worry, Aerith sweet-talked the guy into giving us extras.” She dug in the bag and pulled out another one, followed by a shirt. “They were also handing out free t-shirts and I snagged one for you.” She handed the shirt and bag to him.

            “Tifa is such a good girlfriend!” Aerith said as she looped her arm with Tifa’s.

            Cloud took the items with a smile. “Thanks.”

            Brown eyes flickered over to the familiar man not standing far from him. “Mr. Hewley?” her eyes widened.

            He waved. “Hi, Tifa.”

            “Mr. Hewley, your teacher?” Aerith said as she looked him up and down. She released Tifa’s arm and sauntered over to the chef, now looping her arm with his. “You didn’t tell me he was a stud.”

            “Aerith!” she shouted, feeling a flush on her face.

            “Tifa!” she mocked back.

            Cloud covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.

            “What are you doing here,” Tifa looked from her teacher to her friend, “With Cloud?”

            Angeal gestured to the blond, remembering their conversation from earlier. “Well, I came here looking for new wines to try and ran into your friend here. He said he was looking for you, and I hung around to help out.”

            Blue eyes looked at him in silent thanks.

            “Cloud, you should have called me like I suggested,” she said, still shocked that her instructor crossed paths with him at a wine festival of all places.

            “Who cares? We’re all together so why not make the best of it?” Aerith ran her hand down Angeal’s arm. “Just how often do you work out?”

            “Every morning, actually.”

            “Oooh, he can cook _and_ flex his muscles. This one’s a keeper, Tifa.”

            Cloud coughed, trying to mask his laughter.

            “Aerith!” Tifa shouted again, her face now flushed in embarrassment.

            The four explored every corner of the festival. Tifa finally tried a few wines that Angeal suggested. He gave her tips like he did with Cloud, and she was grateful for the extra lesson.

            It wasn’t long before both women were giggling and running around. They visited some of the downtown boutiques and tried on various clothes and hats, laughing at themselves. Aerith never stopped flirting with Angeal, completely ignoring Tifa’s protests. She kept trying to get him to join them in a threesome, and he politely rejected her advances.

            “That’s my instructor, Aerith!” Tifa shouted with a pout.

            “We can roleplay the curious college girls meet professor,” she shouted back.

            “I’m a lesbian!”

            “Fine, then he fucks me while I give you oral!”

            Cloud noticed that they were getting stares from passerbys. “Okay, ladies, it’s time to leave the shop,” he said as he pressed his hands on their backs.

            “Cloud, do you think this handmade soap is safe for my vagina too?” Aerith asked as she held one up and sniffed it.

            “I… do not know but you’re causing a scene.” He saw the shopkeeper give them a disapproving look. “Come on, I think it’s time to leave before you spend any more money.”

            Angeal helped Tifa out of the shop while Cloud escorted a swaying Aerith out the door. Cloud mentioned with a sympathetic look that he had to use the bathroom. Angeal shook his head and stated that he would be fine with two drunk women. The blond ran off to the nearest bathroom and quickly handled his business. When he ran out of the place, he bumped into someone and apologized for his careless movements.

            When he stared at who he ran into, his mouth almost fell open because the man was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. Cloud didn’t think someone could look so ethereal and be considered human. Piercing green eyes watched him as he took a few steps back in shock.

            “Is there something on my face?” the man asked, a small smirk tugged the corner of his lips.

            “N-no! I-uh…” Cloud thought about Angeal being stuck with Tifa and Aerith. “S-sorry!” he rushed past the man and out of the bathroom.

It was getting late and the crowds were starting to disperse. Angeal and Cloud decided that it was best to take Tifa and Aerith home because they were too drunk to navigate back by themselves.

            “Take us back to my place because we’re gonna see my mom tomorrow!” Aerith said, smiling at the wall of a building.

            It was a struggle helping them to the downtown parking garage. Tifa fell three times during their trek and Angeal finally picked her up bridal style and headed towards his car. Aerith got jealous and smacked Cloud on the shoulder. The blond gave her a piggy back ride instead.

            When Angeal began his drive towards Aerith’s apartment, the two women in the backseat started kissing each other. Cloud shouted at them to at least wait until they had more privacy. Aerith giggled and kept her composure for a good five minutes before she started groping Tifa’s breasts.

            “Both of you are not having sex in Angeal’s car!” the blond exclaimed, feeling a headache forming.

            “Quit being a clit-blocker and let us women have our fun!” Aerith shouted back.

            Angeal was already going above the speed limit as he drove them to the apartment complex.

            It wasn’t long before they arrived. Cloud and Angeal had to practically untangle the women from each other. Lipstick stains were all over their faces and necks. Tifa’s blouse was half open and mostly pulled from her pants. Someone’s underwear—most likely Aerith’s—was on the car floor. Cloud grabbed it and shoved it in one of Tifa’s shopping bags.

            After the women were left in the bedroom kissing all over each other once again, Cloud closed the door and walked out of the apartment. He had a spare key and locked the door while Angeal stood behind him shaking his head.

            “Wow,” he said.

            “I’m so sorry you had to experience Drunk Aerith,” Cloud pocketed his keys. She had no verbal filter and was even a bigger flirt when inebriated. Tifa used to compare him to Aerith during the times they got drunk together. She still thought he was much worse.

            “Is she bisexual?” he asked, thinking about how she tried very hard to get him to have sex with her.

            “Pansexual.”

            “Ah.”

            As they walked down the stairs, Angeal asked if Tifa was a lightweight because she didn’t have much to drink compared to Aerith.

            “Yeah, she’s always been one,” Cloud pushed open the stairwell door. “Aerith gets mild hangovers no matter how much she drinks, but Tifa will probably be super hungover tomorrow.” She’s always been sensitive to alcohol for as long as he could remember.

            “Going to be interesting when they’re looking like train wrecks while visiting Aerith’s mother,” the chef laughed as they approached his car.

            “Her mom is so nice though. She’ll probably make her magic stew that somehow cures hangovers.” He thought about Zack’s claim to that bar’s ‘Potion’ and needed to get him to try the stew sometime.

            They arrived back at Cloud’s apartment. Angeal originally planned to drop him off and go home, but the blond asked him to stay for a little longer. The chef didn’t refuse the offer.

            “It’s cozy in here,” Angeal said as he glanced around the living room.

            “Thanks. Our rent is pretty good for the amenities,” Cloud took off his shoes and sat them on the rack.

            He mimicked his movements and walked over to the couch. He spotted the magazines stacked on the coffee table. “Tifa subscribed to the right food magazine,” he said as he picked one up and thumbed through the pages. It was his favorite and probably best magazine he’d read.

            Blue eyes watched him sit down on the couch while looking through it. “Yeah, she said that they have good articles.”

            “They do,” he said as he skimmed over a page.

            Cloud hung the bag he got from the festival on the coat hanger and walked over to the kitchen and opened the fridge door. He placed one hand on his hip while staring at the near empty fridge, drumming his fingers at the top of door. Shit, it was his turn to go grocery shopping. “Uh, wanna order pizza for dinner? We can watch a movie using my WebMovies account.”

            “I’d figure we’d cook together,” Angeal said as he slightly turned his head. “You don’t have any food?”

            He bit the inside of his cheek and closed the door. “There’s butter. We can melt it and have hot butter drinks.”

            He laughed and stood, tossing the magazine back on the table and walked over to the kitchen. “Let me see.” He opened the fridge and stared inside. “Hmm…”

            “Told ya,” Cloud was now busy staring at the delicious ass displayed in front of him as the chef was partially bent forward. Fucking hell, Angeal was built like a sex god.

            Angeal grabbed certain things out of the fridge. Then he closed the door and opened various cabinets for pantry-related items. He pulled out an unopened box of pasta and checked the expiration date. “Yeah, we can make some linguini. It should take about thirty minutes at most.”

            “Really?” He glanced at the ingredients on the counter.

            “My speciality is cooking with leftovers. I grew up poor back in Banora, so we always made use of everything that was bought in the grocery store.” He thought about the period he and Genesis lived on a tight budget. Angeal put his gil-pinching skills to use and taught Genesis a lot about couponing and sewing. Although that died out with the professor when they both got decent-paying jobs, Angeal ended up being the one who managed their bank accounts and often reminded Genesis about his spending habits.

            “It was kinda the same for me back in Nibelheim.” His childhood had a lot of struggles. “Mom taught me how to cook, but I got lazy thanks to school. Now that Tifa wants to become a chef, it’s hard for me to cook for myself when she’s always practicing and letting me be her food judge.” Not that he minded.

            Angeal looked around for the cookware and utensils, already making himself at home. He realized what he was doing and shook his head. “Sorry, I hope you don’t mind me taking over the kitchen.”

            “No problem at all,” Cloud said with a shrug of his shoulders. “Help yourself,” he nodded at what was already laid out on the counter.

            They prepared and cooked the linguini in a short amount of time, as Angeal stated. Cloud tasted his pasta and stared at him with wide eyes, amazed that so few ingredients could make dinner taste so good.

            “It’s actually easy to make quick meals when you’re busy, or short on gil,” he said as he piled his plate with the pasta. “The long name for this is lemon garlic parmesan linguini, but I just call it linguini when around friends.”

            “It’s so good.” The blond stood in the kitchen eating his pasta.

            “Are we going to eat in here, or in the living area?” Angeal asked with amusement.

            Cloud walked while slurping his pasta and plopped down on the couch. Angeal followed shortly after, somehow managing to carry two glasses of water in one hand and his plate in the other. He mentally congratulated himself for not losing his waiter skills.

            “I completely forgot that I bought wine at the festival. And since it’s white wine, it would go nicely with the pasta,” said Angeal.

            “Get it out of your car and I’ll prepare a bucket of ice to chill it while we eat.” Cloud wiped his hands on his jeans and stood once again, getting the ice ready.

            After Angeal returned and set the bottles of wine in the ice bucket, Cloud searched through his WebMovies account for something to watch.

            “What are you in the mood for?” the blond asked, frowning at all the suggested movies. Tifa and Aerith must have binge watched rom-coms again.

            A chuckle came from the older man as he sat down next to him on the couch. “Well that’s a loaded question.”

            Bright blue eyes regarded the man for a second before turning back to the television with a small smirk on his face. “I meant what _movie_ did you want to watch?”

            “I’m more into documentaries. I hope they don’t bore you.”

            “I’ve never really watched them outside of a classroom.” He picked the documentary category and went through the listing. There were a lot about Shinra Company and Midgar. “Any requests?”

            Angeal watched Cloud arrow through the movies and asked him to stop at the one with a chocobo on the cover. “Let’s watch something light.”

            “A chocobo? Really?” the blond gave him an incredulous look.

            “They’re cute. They were the reason I became a pre-vet major, remember?”

            “You said it was chocobos _and_ dogs.”

            “One of the reasons then.”

            Cloud rolled his eyes and picked the movie, setting the remote on the table and picking up his plate of pasta.

            Halfway through the movie, Angeal thought about his conversation with Genesis, and realized that he needed to stop his relationship with Cloud. But Genesis was so engrossed in Sephiroth that Angeal was starting to feel left out of their supposed ‘threesome.’ He had yet to meet this third, and it unnerved him. Having Cloud around was a great alternative to what he was lacking with Genesis. They haven’t had sex in a week, which was a record for them. “The wine should be chilled by now,” he said before he stood.

            Cloud barely paid attention to the movie because he was busy trying to hold himself back from giving Angeal a blowjob. He already ate his dinner and was ready for a special kind of dessert. However, with cute bird animals on the screen, it would be a mood killer to constantly hear ‘wark!’ in the background while he had a dick in his mouth. His friends were right, ‘Webmovies and Chill’ only worked when it was the right kind of movie.

            The movie ended while they enjoyed the wine. Cloud changed his mind about it, because this was the best wine he ever tasted. He was so used to the cheap, ten gil wine that tasted more like cough syrup than actual alcohol. He now understood why people paid an arm and a leg for the real stuff.

            Angeal leaned back against the couch, his wine glass still in his hand. “I should get ready to go…” he mumbled as he glanced at the clock on the wall above the TV. He shouldn’t try anything with Cloud while Genesis was suspicious. He may have dropped the conversation, but the professor _never_ let things go until he received a satisfying answer. Angeal knew his excuses were nowhere near acceptable.

            Cloud climbed on Angeal’s lap. “No, you’re spending the night.”

            _Shit._ “Won’t Tifa come back?” he asked as he watched him.

            He placed light kisses on the side of Angeal’s neck and traveled up towards his ear. “She’s either still fucking Aerith, or passed out from having numerous orgasms,” he licked Angeal’s jaw. “I think we should follow their example.” He barely moved his head back when Angeal turned to look at him. “Besides, she will be at Aerith’s mom’s house. My guess is that you will be long gone tomorrow before she returns.”

            He needed to stop this now before things got even worse. “Listen--”

            “Angeal, I want you to fuck me.”

            “But--”

            “I’m hungry for your cock,” he said as he grinded his ass on Angeal’s lap.

            Cloud was morphing into Genesis; or was he _already_ like Genesis? “You’re so demanding,” he tilted his head back and sighed.

            Cloud was frustrated that Zack ignored his sexual advances during the past two dates. The only way Cloud could get sex was if he coaxed Angeal instead. “I’m horny and you’re here.” He plucked the wine glass from Angeal’s hand and drank the rest of the alcohol, slightly leaning back as he finished it with one last gulp. He tossed the glass on the carpet, not caring where it landed and suggestively ran his tongue across his upper lip. “Fuck me.”

            “Cloud.”

            “Angeal,” he whispered as he placed his hands on either side of the man’s shoulders gripping the back of the couch.

            Screw it. If Cloud demanded to get fucked then he will definitely get it. “Fine,” he said as he ran his hands underneath Cloud’s shirt. “Don’t complain about being sore in the morning.”

            His eyes narrowed and a small smile appeared on his lips. “Is that a warning?”

            “Yes,” he ended their conversation with a kiss. It started out chaste and quick until Cloud rubbed his ass against his hardening cock. Angeal devoured Cloud’s mouth with heated desire, gliding his fingernails up a pale stomach until they stopped and circled hardened nipples. The blond moaned into the kiss and moved back to remove his shirt, flinging it to the side. Angeal leaned forward and placed light kisses on his stomach.

            Cloud sighed and ran a hand through dark tresses, watching Angeal’s tongue dart out and lick his nipples. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes. This is exactly what he wanted-- _needed_. “Mmm…”

            Angeal’s hands rested on slim hips, and he said, “I want you to suck me off again.”

            The blond didn’t protest. He craved Angeal’s dick since that night in the bathroom. He almost visited the local porn store for a dildo that matched the chef’s size as an alternative until he saw Angeal again. Climbing off his lap and kneeling on the carpet between Angeal’s legs, he fumbled with the buttons and zipper of the man’s jeans. His mouth instantly watered at the sight of the large bulge hidden underneath white briefs. “Gods, it’s been too long,” he muttered.

            Angeal saw the flash of desire in those bright blue eyes and he stroked spiky blond hair, noticing how soft it felt beneath his fingertips. “Hm. It has.”

            Cloud leaned forward and licked along the cotton-covered bulge. The man above him groaned and tugged at his hair, but not hard enough to make his eyes water. Cloud assumed that was his cue to continue and sucked the underwear with suggestive sounds, trying to fit all of Angeal’s width in his mouth. Gods, he forgot how thick Angeal was and couldn’t wait to feel it inside him again. The young engineer lifted his head and stared at the wet stain on the briefs. The head of Angeal’s cock now peeked from above the waistband, and Cloud circled his tongue around it, tasting the salty precome that leaked into his mouth.

            “Ah, yes…” Angeal sighed.

            “Mm, that’s right,” Cloud said as he adjusted his posture. “You like it when I do this,” he stabbed his tongue against the slit of the cockhead.

            “ _Shit_! Cloud!” he exclaimed, tightening his grip on blond strands with both hands and tilting his head back from the pleasure. His hips twitched on the couch and he tried not to close his legs with Cloud kneeling between them.

            He licked his upper lip again and smiled up at him. “I love it when my hair is pulled.”

            The chef looked back down at the man between his legs. He recalled what happened in the bathroom at The Lakefront and asked, “You like it rough, don’t you?”

            “Yes.”

            “Then,” Angeal pulled out his cock and stroked it, “If you impress me, I’ll give you what you want.”

            Bright blue eyes stared at the engorged cock. “Are you challenging me now?”

            “Perhaps.”

            It took a couple of attempts for Cloud to break eye contact from Angeal’s cock to meet dark blue eyes. An idea formed in his head and he couldn’t prevent the devious smile from appearing on his face. “Alright then.” He looked over his shoulder and saw the wine bottle in the ice bucket. Cloud reached for the bottle and removed the cork. He turned back around and took a huge swig of wine. He kept the wine in his mouth, and leaned forward to suck the head of Angeal’s cock. The man above him shuddered and never stopped stroking himself, his fingers briefly touching Cloud’s lips and back down to the end of his shaft. Cloud made sure to breathe through his nose as the cool liquid swished around his tongue and even leaked out of his mouth, spilling down his chin and onto Angeal’s pants. He swallowed the alcohol in defeat and leaned back, wiping his mouth with his arm. Clearing his throat, he frowned and took another deep breath before exhaling slowly. Before Angeal could say anything, Cloud took another swig of the wine and repeated his actions, this time taking more of the chef’s cock.  
                           
            “Shit…” dark blue eyes never left the determined man while he slowed his strokes. Cloud knocked his hand away and Angeal immediately grasped blond strands again. His breath came in short pants and his eyes narrowed into slits as he tried his hardest to keep his focus on the bobbing head. “Gods, Cloud…” he whispered. The cool liquid surrounding his cock forced another shiver up his spine, and he tilted his head back in pleasure, enjoying the new trick Cloud developed just now.

  
            This time, the alcohol didn’t spill out as much as it did during his first attempt, and Cloud hummed to himself in pride. His bright blue eyes looked right into Angeal’s face as he swallowed the wine, tightening his throat muscles and feeling the slight tingle of the alcohol.  Needing another break, Cloud lifted his head away and licked the corner of his lips. “I still need practice,” he said, more to himself than to the chef.

  
            Dropping his head back down, Angeal grinned. “This is only the second time. Though, if you _really_ want to practice, then be my guest.” He took the wine bottle out of Cloud’s hand. Taking a swig of it himself, he let out a loud sigh of content once he moved the bottle away from his mouth.

  
            Wrapping his fingers around Angeal’s large shaft he raised his free hand towards the bottle.

  
            Reluctantly handing the drink to the blond, he teasingly said, “Careful, you may get drunk off my cock.”

  
            With an annoyed look, Cloud snatched the wine away and lifted the lip of the bottle to his mouth without breaking eye contact. His tolerance was much better than Angeal thought, and he will prove to the chef that he can handle more than is assumed. Setting the wine down next to his kneeling form, he tightened his grip on Angeal’s cock and took the head into his mouth once again. He reveled in the jerk of hips and reached down to cup his balls.

  
            “Mmm, Cloud…” Angeal cooed as his hand stroked spiky blond hair.

  
            Using that as his cue to go deeper, the young engineer sharply inhaled through his nostrils and moved his head further down, moving one hand back around the shaft as his guide when he closed his eyes in concentration. He was about halfway down before he could feel his gag reflex kick in, and he stopped trying to shove more of Angeal’s cock down his throat. _Relax_ , he thought to himself while slowly swallowing bits of the wine to prevent looking like a drooling mess.

  
            For some reason, seeing the alcohol spill out of Cloud’s mouth became a huge turn-on to Angeal. Maybe it was the idea that Cloud was trying to push past his limits, and he looked so fucking hot doing it at the same time. Lowered eyelashes contrasting against pale skin, brows furrowed in concentration, flushed cheeks hollowed with each suck that sent sparks of pleasure down Angeals spine-- he was in fucking heaven. No one, not even Genesis, could offer something better than Cloud.

  
            Cloud felt the effects of the wine as he released Angeal’s cock. It was a bit too soon for him to get tipsy from it, and it will completely justify what the chef said earlier.  There was no way he could get drunk off of wine so soon.

  
            Regardless, Cloud kept doing it over and over again until he was finally able to take Angeal all the way down. His bottom lip brushed against Angeal’s balls, the fine hairs tickling his chin as he held his head there, amazed that his gag reflex wasn’t forcing him away. He wasn’t sure if it was due to the alcohol, or his brief practicing, but listening to the older man’s moans grow louder and louder was enough to shut down the remainder of his thinking process.

  
            “Fuck, Cloud!” the chef cursed as his grip subconsciously tightened around blond strands. Angeal knew he was large and never would have expected Cloud to get this far so soon. Last time was close, but this was _definitely_ a breakthrough. “Ah! You… I’m…” With a low groan, his orgasm crashed through him, and he threw his head back in pleasure. Both of his hands twisted Cloud’s hair as he rode out his orgasm. “Shit…”

  
            Cloud made a sound of surprise as he felt Angeal’s cock pump its essence down his throat. He was glad that he already swallowed down the wine when he began deep-throating him and decided to hold his head in place, feeling his lover’s penis pulse in his mouth. His eyes began to water from the strain, and he finally knocked Angeal’s hands away so he could move back and breathe again. Thick strings of come-mixed saliva stretched between his lips and Angeal’s cock, but he was too busy coughing to care about the mess.

  
            Angeal’s hips twitched from the last remnants of his orgasm, and he slowly lowered his head to stare down at Cloud. The blond had his head bent down and a hand over his chest as he took deep breaths and coughed a couple more times. Realizing what he did, Angeal whispered, “Cloud… I’m sorry.” He wiped away the spit that was stuck on the blond’s cheek. “Are you okay? I got carried away and didn’t—”

            Cloud interrupted him by placing an opened mouth kiss on the lips. He was so horny that his cock felt like it was going to burst out of his pants. He muttered, “Fuck me,” in Angeal’s ear and gripped his shirt. “ _Please._ ”

            They practically ripped off their clothes while walking into Cloud’s bedroom. In the few steps left to the bed, Angeal picked him up and tossed him on the mattress. Cloud scrambled on his hands and knees and looked over his shoulder at him. “Give it to me _hard._ ” The bed dipped behind Cloud and large hands were on his ass. He moaned as they kneaded and massaged his cheeks, spreading them apart for better access to his hole.

            What Cloud did not expect was to feel a tongue probe his entrance.

            “Holyfuckingshit!” he screamed as he arched his back. Breath coming out in pants, he stared at his pillows with wide eyes, feeling so fucking _dirty_ that Angeal’s tongue was up his ass. None of his lovers have ever rimmed him; it never came up in conversation, or during foreplay. “Angeal!” he moaned.

            The chef kept one hand on Cloud’s asscheek while the other reached around and stroked a hard cock. His thumb swiped the head and was immediately covered with copious amounts of fluid leaking from the slit. He rubbed it along the shaft of Cloud’s penis and stuck his tongue further inside Cloud’s ass.

            “Ah!” his eyes clenched tight.

            Angeal kept assaulting Cloud’s ass until the blond begged him to stop before he came. Moving his head back, he watched the rapid rise and fall of a pale back and smiled. “Do you have lube and condoms?”

            Cloud had to gather his thoughts for a moment and finally registered what the man said. Feebly lifting his arm, he pointed and said, “In the nightstand drawer.”

            The chef crawled across the bed and reached in the nightstand for the necessary items. He briefly glanced at the can of Banora White sitting on top of the stand and remembered Cloud’s obsession with the drink. Shaking his head, he went back to the prostrated blond and opened the bottle of lubricant. He squeezed a generous amount on his fingers, some of it dripping onto the bed, and tossed the bottle on the side near Cloud. “I’m going to prepare you now.”

            He laughed, “I really just want you to stick it in me, but I want to be able to walk.”

            Angeal chuckled and rubbed his lubed fingers gently against the puckered entrance. “You said you liked it rough.”

            Cloud gasped and slightly rolled his hips. “I-I do, but not where I’m rendered handicapped.” Even if Angeal were smaller, he’d still be in a lot of pain if they fucked dry.

            “Hm,” he idly muttered before sliding one finger inside Cloud’s ass.

            “Mm, yes…” he moaned and gripped the sheets underneath him. His cock twitched from the small intrusion. “I want more.”

            “Already?” he twisted his finger.

            Cloud’s breath hitched. “Mhm”

            Angeal didn’t question it any further when he added a second finger. He listened to the blond’s moans and watched him squirm on the bed. “How’s that?”

            “Much better…” He arched his back again each time the fingers slid deeper inside his ass. Gods it felt so fucking good to have something filling him. But Angeal’s cock would be the icing on the cake. “Hurry, please!”

            “So impatient.” He spread his fingers apart in a ‘V’ shape and heard a high pitched moan that almost sounded like a squeal come from the blond. “You like that?”

            “Fuck yeah,” he was so embarrassed by the sound he made earlier. He hoped it wouldn’t get too bad when Angeal finally entered him. “Do it faster, like you’re fucking me.”

            Angeal did as instructed, twisting and wiggling his fingers inside of Cloud. He almost stopped his actions when he heard another very loud groan escape the young engineer’s mouth. “Did I find it?” he whispered.

            Cloud rotated his hips with Angeal’s fingers stretching him and groaned again when they hit that spot. “There!”

            His fingers continued grazing that spot over and over, and Angeal almost came to the sounds coming out of Cloud’s mouth. “You sound like a whore.”

            “Then treat me like one!”

            Angeal was grateful that Cloud wasn’t facing him because he was positive that his expression would have made the blond laugh. He quickly collected himself and said in a low voice, “Is that what you want?”

            “ _Yes_ ,” he cried.

            Withdrawing his fingers, Angeal grabbed the condom and worked at putting it on. Once it was in place, he then picked up the bottle of lube and poured more onto his palm. He threw the bottle over his shoulder and rubbed the lube all around the condom. He looked down and realized that a lot of his semen had stained the bed. _Fuck_ he hadn’t been this horny in a long time.

            It wasn’t long before he grabbed slim hips and hovered over Cloud’s form. “You ready?”

            “Ever since I gave you that blowjob,” he said as he angled his head to regard him. “Fuck me, Angeal.”

            Remembering that Cloud wanted to be handled roughly, he reached between them to slap his cock against Cloud’s entrance. “Are you sure you want it?”

            “Yes.”

            Angeal smirked and shoved himself inside with one smooth thrust.

            “Ahh!” Cloud clawed his sheets and pressed his forehead on the bed. “I can’t… Angeal… GODS!” It was too much, too fucking much. How the fuck did he take it all back then with just spit?

            “Yes, you can,” his fingers tightened their grip as he willed himself to calm down from Cloud’s ass clamping down _hard_ on his cock. “If you can swallow my cock all the way down your throat, then you can handle it deep in your ass.”

            Cloud was shocked that he didn’t come from being penetrated just once. “So big… ah… so big…”

            Angeal didn’t wait for Cloud to adjust as he began fucking him in a brutal pace, reveling in the high-pitched sounds that once again came out of Cloud’s mouth. “You’re such a slut,” he whispered as a hand trailed up a sweaty back and stopped at the back of Cloud’s head. He gripped the blond strands and yanked his body back halfway in the air. “You like that?”

            Cloud grabbed onto Angeal’s wrist while still screaming from the hard thrusts. He was stretched so much that it fucking _hurt_ , but in a good way that made his brain turn into mush. “Fuck yeah,” he moaned and his head slightly leaned to the side.

            The older man never faltered in his thrusts. He was moving so hard and fast that the headboard smacked against the wall repeatedly. Angeal was thankful that nobody else was in the apartment to hear them. “Ah, so tight…!”

            “Ah, yesss,” Cloud groaned and lowered his head as soon as Angeal released his hair and held onto his hips with both hands again.

            The sound of the bed creaking from Angeal’s movements, followed by heavy grunts and loud groans echoed in the bedroom. Cloud reached down and touched his cock, but Angeal pulled his arm behind his back. “You came without touching yourself last time,” he said.

            Cloud bit his lip and shut his eyes again. “I want to come!”

            The dark-haired man leaned down and whispered obscenities in Cloud’s ear, angling his thrusts to find that special spot again.

            The blond gasped and arched his back when Angeal’s cock brushed against his prostate. “Uhn, fuck! Right there! Ah!”

            It wasn’t long before Cloud reached his peak. With a loud cry, his orgasm ripped through him, causing his cock to jerk and twitch, spraying his bed sheets. The blond groaned and reached down to milk every last drop. The remnants of his come dribbled onto his fingers, and he lifted his hand to lick it off. “Come on my face,” he muttered as he looked over his shoulder with his fingers still in his mouth.

            Angeal quickly slid out of him and removed the condom, stroking himself as Cloud kneeled in front of him with his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. The older man groaned as he shot out jets of come all over Cloud’s face. Some of it flew in the blond’s mouth and Angeal thought he was going to have multiple orgasms from watching Cloud’s face get covered with his come.

            Cloud reached up and sucked Angeal’s softening cock, his face completely saturated with warm come. Angeal brushed blond bangs out of his face, feeling wet traces of his semen in Cloud’s hair. “Cloud…”

            He released the soft cock and licked his lips, tasting some of the come that ran down his cheeks. “That was amazing.”

            “I would kiss you, but I’m not cool enough to taste myself,” he said with amusement.

            Cloud laughed and crawled out of the bed. “I’ll be right back then.” He left the bedroom.

            Angeal lay across the bed and took the opportunity to gaze at Cloud’s room, noticing how messy it was for someone in his early twenties. If Cloud were younger, he’d ignore it, but this level of mess was almost as bad as Genesis’s disaster when they first lived together. Angeal smiled and shook his head, realizing that Cloud and Genesis were much more alike than he thought.

            Cloud returned while rubbing a towel on his face. He could already feel his ass starting to throb, and knew that it would be worse tomorrow. “Can you kiss me now?” his voice was muffled by the towel.

            He rolled his eyes and pulled Cloud down onto the bed for another kiss.

__________________________________________________________________________

            Sephiroth stared out the window of his loft, nursing a hot cup of tea. Across from him sat Genesis, who was discussing the latest novel he read.

            “And I do find it interesting how the main character—”

            The silver haired man barely paid much attention to the conversation because he kept thinking about a certain blond he saw at the festival. He was glad he went despite Genesis’s protests. Apparently, the professor dropped out on Angeal just to have a date with him instead. Sephiroth didn’t like the idea that he may be the reason for drawing Genesis’s attention away from Angeal. However, Sephiroth _did_ say that he wanted to spend more time with him before he met the chef, but not in the manner where it shortened quality time with the professor’s lover.

            “And then the author proceeded to—”

            Sephiroth couldn’t stop his thoughts from going back to Cloud. He was much cuter in person than on his Love Twice profile. He also found it hard to believe that the blond was only a year younger than Zack. Those big, bright blue eyes looked so _innocent_. Zack’s claim that Cloud attempts to seduce him made Sephiroth wonder what kind of lustful expressions appeared on his cute face.

            “Sephiroth? Sephiroth, did you hear what I just said?”

            He closed his eyes and sighed, placing the cup back on the coaster. “No. Sorry.”

            “You’ve been quiet since we left the festival,” he said with a frown.

            “Just thinking,” he merely stated as he folded his arms across his chest and looked at the professor.

            “Care to share your thoughts?”

            Before he opened his mouth to reply, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Figuring it was Zack, he pulled it out and stared at the text message.

            _Let’s do it._

            “What’s wrong now?” Genesis said with a huff, growing suspicious of Sephiroth’s surprised expression as he stared at his phone.

            Sephiroth sent Zack a message earlier this morning asking for the student’s decision after their conversation from two weeks ago. He honestly thought Zack would change his mind and refuse to have sex with anybody else, but the response on his lock screen completely caught him off guard. Did that mean Zack would finally tell Cloud about his open relationship?

            Meeting Genesis’s gaze, he pocketed his phone and said, “I don’t mean to change the subject, but I have a proposition I’d like to make.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for the kudos, everyone!!!!


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: MERRY CRIHMUH Y'ALL!!!!!!!!

            Cloud drifted to consciousness as he felt a warm puff of air tickle his forehead. He shifted in the bed, barely sensing the arm around his waist. He sighed and snuggled closer to the warmth next to him with a small smile on his face. He secretly loved cuddling in bed with someone. Even if they didn’t have sex, he would be completely fine with simply sleeping together, nothing more. Cloud never admitted this little secret to his former dates, and hoped that his current one-or ones- enjoyed it as much as he did.

            There was a soft moan, followed by a sleepy, “Good morning,” as Angeal tightened his hold around him.

            “You’re awake,” Cloud muttered, slowly opening his eyes.

            Blue eyes fluttered open as he exhaled through his nostrils. “Been like that for an hour,” he replied in a hoarse voice. He moved his arm from Cloud’s waist and propped his head in his other hand, watching him. “I didn’t want to wake you.” He was always a morning person, ever since he was a child. Genesis loved sleeping in on Sundays, and Angeal usually left the bed without waking him, and made breakfast. But this wasn’t his place, and Cloud seriously had no other ingredients outside of extra linguini.

            The blond scooted back and positioned his head on his pillows, gazing back into dark blue eyes. Angeal’s hair laid flat on one side, and on the other, black strands stood up in different directions. Cloud almost joked that they mirrored each other. “I wouldn’t have minded.” He tried not to sleep for too long when he had guests, or if he was at somebody’s place. It felt rude if he slept all day and wasted the little time left before the work week started.

            “I’ll remember that next time.” He shifted in the bed and studied the blond’s sleepy appearance. “Just make sure you have food in the fridge so we can cook together more often.”

            _Next time_. Those two words made Cloud’s eyes slightly widen. He spent so much of his time with Zack, that he constantly reminded himself he had Angeal for the sex that Zack refused. But Angeal _also_ went out in public with Cloud. _How bad will this get if I continue seeing both Angeal and Zack?_ He asked himself this question a hundred times, but he still didn’t know the answer.

            Angeal noticed the puzzled expression and asked, “You okay?”

            The question broke his brief, internal struggles. “Ah… yeah… just… sore still…” he closed his eyes because he suddenly found it difficult to face the man.

            “Hm, were those condoms latex-free? Are you feeling alright?”

            _Oh my gods, he is so…_ Bright blue eyes opened and looked at him with slight amusement. “Those are latex-free.”

            “I have to ask, but how bad was it when you first found out?”

            “My first time with Tif—this guy actually.” He rolled over onto his back and looked at the ceiling. Thank goodness the lights weren’t on because his ceiling fan was caked with dust. “I put on a condom and topped him, and my dick fucking burned and itched like hell before I even came. I went to the emergency room and they told me straight up that it was most likely a latex allergy.” Tifa merely shook her head in amusement as she sat next to him in the hospital room. Back when he was clueless about sex, he thought he somehow got an STD despite them being each other’s firsts. She still brought it up whenever she teased him about his naivety on certain topics.

            “Yikes, I’m sorry you had to learn the hard way.” Angeal tried not to laugh. He imagined a younger Cloud freaking out about the burning sensation on his penis.

            “Eh, at least it wasn’t in my ass.”

            They stayed silent for a moment before both men started laughing.

            “I knew you’d fucking laugh!” Cloud exclaimed as he looked over at the man.

            “I’m sorry! It’s bad to laugh at other people’s pain but…” Angeal rolled onto his back and placed his hand over his eyes. He preached for years against Genesis’s amusement over people suffering; but it looked like his lover’s personality rubbed off on him. Not good.

            “So now you know,” the blond raised up on his elbows and sighed. The bedsheet slipped down into his lap. “I try not to think about that traumatic moment.”

            “I understand,” dark blue eyes wandered over a lean torso. It’s a shame that he didn’t mark Cloud’s soft skin last night. He made a mental note to do it in the near future.

            Cloud looked at him and caught the lingering traces of lust before it disappeared when Angeal met his gaze. The obvious question on his face made Cloud sigh, “I’m still sore from last night.

            Surprise appeared on his face. Was he _that_ easy to read, or had Cloud rapidly adjusted to his personality? Dangerous, very dangerous; considering that he lived with a man who knew him all too well. “I thought about giving you a quick blowjob before we showered and parted ways.”

            His words caused the younger man to shudder and bite his lower lip. If he sounded like a horny bitch, he will hate himself. Then again, when was he _not_ a horny bitch? “I wish, but if I let you, I’ll want a finger up my ass while you do it.”

            Black eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

            He sighed and looked away. “I prefer my blowjobs that way…” he quietly elaborated.

            Angeal casually watched Cloud’s shyness and almost laughed. Just last night, Cloud gave him a blowjob with alcohol in his mouth. Thank the gods that the low alcohol percentage didn’t cause _his_ dick to burn, or else they’d re-live the latex allergy moment with a much more embarrassing story. Regardless, where was that sex-crazed demon who talked dirty in his ear and performed acts that even Genesis—a creative man all around—never did? Was it the alcohol influence?

            But even when they fucked in that bathroom stall in The Lakefront, Cloud was completely sober. No alcohol was involved then… “Are you only modest just to tease, or are you truly hiding something I should know?” he asked.

            Eyes widened as if he were a child whose hand was caught in the cookie jar. “Huh?” he tensed his muscles. That last sentence threw him off. _Does he know about Zack?!_

            The chef frowned. “What’s up with you? Are you sure you are okay?” He patted Cloud’s leg.

            “Y-Yeah… just…” he let out a deep exhale and shook his head, relaxing his muscles. “Maybe I’m hungover?” If he redirected the conversation, then they could eventually get showered and dressed.

            Angeal scoffed. “You weren’t drunk like Tifa and Aertih.” He wondered how they held up after the festival. Tifa probably _held_ onto the toilet, after what Cloud told him. “So, back to my question: are you really this shy, or are you hiding some kinks that may make me run away?”

            Where in Gaia’s name did he get the impression about the shy part? Maybe when he was like fourteen and experienced the negative parts of puberty (as if there were any good parts to it); but he was not as shy as Angeal thought. “I’ll have to pick the latter. Though, I’m too vanilla for the kink world, last I checked. So, I doubt you’d run.” Looks like he wasn’t hinting about Zack. That’s a relief. “There are some sexual things I wanna try with you sometime in the future, but I want to slowly work our way to that point.” Really, Cloud needed to figure out how to balance work, social life, Zack, and Angeal without anybody finding out about one another. The slow and steady method was the best option at the moment.

            The dark-haired man nodded at Cloud’s response. “I asked because you seemed a bit uncertain when I offered to give you a blowjob before I left.” He shifted on the bed and sat up. “Last night you wouldn’t have hesitated.”

            _It was probably the alcohol, even though I wasn’t drunk. My inner slut comes out when I taste anything alcohol related._ The blond shrugged. “I said I wanted a finger up my ass while you did it, but it’s sore from your huge dick.”

            He snorted. “Fine. But I can give you a blowjob with just using my mouth.”

            “You are very persistent about this.”

            “Maybe I like you too much to not miss the opportunity while we have an apartment to ourselves.”

            Cloud sighed. “I’m kinda not in the mood…” He didn’t know why he was lackadaisical all of the sudden. He honestly wanted Angeal gone so he could remove all evidence of their activities from the night before. Tifa won’t be back for a while, which gave him plenty of time to clean up. And, as the man said before, he needed to go grocery shopping. Cloud had errands to run before work tomorrow.

            Slightly disappointed, but still wanted to respect his new lover, Angeal shook his head and muttered, “okay then,” and stood from the bed. “At least let’s take a shower together.”

            Cloud finally realized that he felt guilty he fucked Angeal again without telling him the truth; and the fact that he almost got caught when he unexpectedly crossed paths with Tifa and Aerith. He wanted to wash away the shame that grew as he dragged this out, and needed some time to reflect on how he should climb out of this hellhole. He didn’t want his guilt to block the great sex he got from Angeal. Turning down a blowjob was already a sign that he needed to get his shit together fast. “I can do that.”

            Of course, five minutes in the shower turned into groping and make-out sessions, followed by Angeal on his knees sucking Cloud’s cock.

            “You… son of a b-ITCH!” Cloud yelled when Angeal licked and sucked on his balls. He felt a warm puff of air on his genitals as the man chuckled at him.

            “You’re not pushing me away, Cloud,” he said as he gripped the blond’s hard cock and stroked it. “Plus, you make the cutest expressions.” With Cloud’s hair wet, and the water clinging to his flushed skin, Angeal almost wondered if this was a wet dream—literally.

            “Mmfuck!” His fingers slipped each time he attempted to grip the tile walls. Instead, he clenched his hands into fists and banged it against the wet tiles. “Make me come.”

            “Fuck my mouth.,” the older man instructed before sucking Cloud halfway down. The moaning blond was a little too big for him to deepthroat easily, and he needed to practice a bit before he could actually do it. Genesis’s selfishness in the bedroom helped when Angeal gave blowjobs to other men. His lover enjoyed having his cock fully engulfed by a mouth, and never came unless it happened.

            Cloud didn’t hesitate as he grabbed dark strands and gyrated his hips, slowly at first so he wouldn’t gag Angeal. But when the man’s hands squeezed his ass, encouraging him to continue, the blond moved faster, moaning over the sucking sounds. This was like fucking a fleshlight, only that it was warm and attached to a human. Angeal’s mouth tightly latched on to his cock that it wouldn’t be long before he— “Oh fuuuuck!” Cloud moaned as he pushed his hips against Angeal’s mouth and came.

            Angeal closed his eyes and swallowed all of Cloud’s come as it pumped down his throat. The whole time he was face-fucked, he stroked his own cock. The sensation of Cloud’s twitching cock made him come with a muffled groan and ejaculated on trembling legs.

            The blond slowly pulled away from the man on his knees and leaned back against the cool tiles, shivering at the contact. “Gods, that was good.”

            His lover slowly stood, and looked down at Cloud. “I got what I wanted for today.”

            “Yeah, because you kept molesting me.”

            He grinned. “Like I said, you didn’t stop me.”

            They kissed until the water started to get cold. Both men yelped and laughed. Cloud turned the hot water nozzle until it couldn’t go any further, and they finished their shower.

            After they fought over the blow-dryer, and proceeded to get dressed, Cloud froze when he realized that he didn’t have any spare clothes for Angeal. “You should start leaving your stuff at my place.”

            Angeal zipped his jeans and shook his head. “I wasn’t in these for long. And I took a shower before I met you at the festival.” He dug into his pocket and found his phone. When the screen remained black, he sighed and looked up at the ceiling, mentally counting to five. “My phone is dead…” If Genesis called him…

            Cloud walked to the closet and bent down, digging through his clothes. “I think I have a spare charger.”

            The dark-haired man lowered his head and his eyes immediately landed on the blond’s ass. “It’s an older model. I doubt you’d have one.”

            “I have a universal charger because not everyone has the same popular phone.” He frowned when he saw more clothes in the back of his closet. Just how many fucking pairs of jeans and shirts did he own? What was the point of shopping that day for Zack’s date? Gods, he really needed to clean his room before the monsters of legend resided in here.

            Dark blue eyes tore away from their intense gaze on a certain body part. His libido was out of control. Either Cloud was just irresistible, or he was stressed out as he kept Genesis in the dark and used sex as an outlet. “Don’t worry about it. I need to head home anyway.” _Before I fuck you again._

            The engineer turned and gave him a doubtful expression. “Driving home with a dead phone? What if you get in a car accident?”

            Angeal softly smiled at his concern. “You don’t live far from me,” he said as he glanced around the bedroom, noticing the trash buildup now that the lights were on. “This is honestly a good location.” He fought with Genesis about where they should live. Both with instructor jobs in downtown Midgar, it made sense to rent, or purchase, a loft in the area. But Genesis wanted to live where all the nicer folks resided: sector seven. The prices were astronomically high there, and well out of their budget. Genesis refused to go back to sector eight after all of the negative memories they left behind. Though, Angeal could tell that LOVELESS called him back, whenever the professor muttered phrases from the book as he cleaned, or graded. At least Genesis assigned it as required reading to his students close to the end of the semester, because it motivated him to read their interpretations of the poem as their final exam. When he first taught his classes, he barely missed the university deadline for final grade reports. But with the assigned reading, he spent all night grading the LOVELESS exams and made it a high percentage of the students’ class grade. He never missed the deadlines since.

            Instead they settled for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhome in sector six, right on the edge of sector seven. It was located in a quiet area, not too far from The Lakefront and other outlet malls. And the neighborhood was peaceful. Not exactly over-extravagant for Genesis’s tastes, but it came with a lot of amenities that both men required.

            “Thanks,” said Cloud as he scratched the back of his head. It was still damp from the shower. “Someday I’d like a place of my own—preferably a one-bedroom condo, but that’s only if Mr. Tuesti loves me enough to hire me as a full-time employee soon.” He learned through the grapevine that the pay scale for Tuesti’s company was _ridiculously_ good. Cloud hated his meager internship pay, but Tifa told him over a hundred times that a paid internship was rare these days.

            “You’ll get it,” the chef reassured him. “Most interns there get a couple of weeks before they are booted, because Reeve wants the best of the best. I can tell you from experience that he’s keeping you around because he sees skills you can bring to his company. My hunch is that he is looking for the right position for you, once he sees your full potential. Stay on top of your work and you are bound to be a new hire in no time.”

            Cloud blushed and ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck and stared at the floor. “That’s… something I’ve never head before.” He smiled brightly at Angeal. “Thanks.”

            Angeal swore that his heart stopped at the blond’s expression. Gritting his teeth, he immediately headed towards the door. “I need to go.”

            Confused at the tone of his voice, Cloud remained quiet as he followed him out to the front door.

            The dark-haired man held the door knob and paused. If he kissed him now, he’d lose more precious time. He needed to charge his phone and call Genesis before he went home to an angry boyfriend. If he didn’t, he’d be angry at himself for not spending the last few sensual moments with Cloud before the work week began.

            Screw it. Angeal whirled around and kissed the young engineer hard on the lips, sliding his tongue inside and tasted him. His hands wrapped around the blond’s small frame and pulled him closer to his body, which earned him a moan.

            Cloud pulled Angeal’s shirt out of his pants and trailed his hands underneath it. He loved it when hard muscles twitched at the contact. He eagerly responded to his lover’s invasion of his mouth by guiding their tongues to rub against each other. Before he knew it, he idly grinded on Angeal’s lower hips, and felt that huge cock press on the side of his thigh. Fuck, if his ass wasn’t sore, he’d pull his pants down and have the man fuck him senseless again.

            The chef tugged on blond strands and yanked his head back in order to breathe properly. Bright blue eyes swirled with lust, and a pink tint to Cloud’s cheeks made him look ethereal. His plush lips were slick with spit, and Angeal wanted them wrapped around his cock.

            Shit. Shit. _SHIT!_

            Taking a few deep breaths, he released Cloud and stepped away until his back pressed against the door. _What are you doing to me?_

            Blinking out of his lustful haze. Cloud swallowed a few times before he finally said, “Uh… I guess that was my goodbye kiss?”

            Angeal shook his head, not meeting his gaze and opened the door. “I’ll text you once my phone revives from the dead.” His voice was hoarse from their kiss.

            “O—” before he could finish, the dark-haired man was already out the door. “…kay…” He frowned as she slowly closed and locked it.

            The look on Angeal’s face told Cloud that he didn’t want to leave.

            “I didn’t want you to either…” he whispered to himself as he briefly rested his forehead on the door.

             A buzzing sound could be heard from behind him. Turning around and looking for the source, he saw his vibrating cellphone on the coffee table. He rushed over and answered it without looking at his caller ID. “Hello?”

            “CLOUD? WHAT THE FUCK?!” Aerith shouted on the other line.

            He winced, and held it away from his ear. When more shouting could be heard, he interrupted, “Chill out! What’s wrong?!”

            “I’ve been trying to reach you late last night and all morning!”

            Confused, he flopped down on the couch, and stared at the empty wine glasses and dirty dishes on the table. He wished he could keep them around as memorabilia, but there will be more of that in the future, hopefully. “Why? Did someone die or…?”

            “No! I’m sure my keys are still in Angeal’s car! I tried to call his number through Tifa’s cell, but I just get his voicemail. I was hoping you had his number, or some way of contacting him so you can get them for me!”

            Oh _fuck!_ And he just left… “Well his phone is dead so I’m not sure when he will be able to get to your messages.”

            Silence on the other line, and then, “How did you know it’s dead?”

            Cloud slapped his forehead. “If you’re only going straight to voicemail then it must be turned off, or dead. I just assumed it was dead.” _Whew…_

            “Oh…” she huffed. “What am I gonna do? I can use Tifa’s spare key for my place, but I have to wait today for my mom to open the door to her house. _And_ my work keys are on that chain! I can’t get in early tomorrow, and my boss will be pissed if he found out I lost my keys to his clinic!”

            There’s no way he could run after a moving car. “Fuck,” Cloud had to wait for Angeal to go home and charge his phone. He didn’t know which sector the chef lived in, or else he’d follow after him. “All we can do is wait. Maybe he’ll check tonight and one of us can meet him to get the keys.”

            “Tifa is hungover like hell and I want her to rest up at mom’s place for today. You are my only hope right now…” She sounded on edge. “You’ll have to just get them yourself. I’ll let you know if he calls back.”

            _He’ll probably call me before you but sure. Hopefully Angeal won’t make things worse if he ratted them out about being together._ “That’s fine. I’m going to clean and grocery shop. I’ll keep my phone off silent.”

            “Thanks, Cloud!” Aerith’s said with relief. “I need those keys back by tonight, or else I have to tell Seph why I am irresponsible…”

            “Seph?”

            She snorted. “He hates it when I call him that because he tells me that there are very few people in his life who he allows to shorten his name. His full name is Sephiroth, which is why I shorten it unless we are with a client.”

            “Huh…” The name sounded intimidating. “You never told me his name; only ‘Bossman,’ ‘Da Boss,’ or ‘Slave Driver’.”

            “That’s surprising because it’s a really weird name, but it fits him if you see him in person. He’s a very attractive man—attractive enough to have half the male and female clients flirt hard with him. You’d probably have a heart attack since you love men more than me.” She laughed. “That’s probably why I never told you much about him because your horny ass would be all over him in a heartbeat.”

            He dug the dirt underneath his fingernails, while he cradled the phone on his shoulder. “You tell me this now…” Cloud joked. He was content with Angeal and Zack; but this Sephiroth person piqued his interests. Aerith was smart not to tell him sooner or else he’d ask her to give him his number before he met the other two. Then he’d never cross paths with Zack and Angeal—or maybe just Zack because Angeal was by circumstance. The struggle was too real.

            “Yeah, cuz you’re with Zack now. He marked you as his mate, so now I can tell you about the hot guys I see at my job just to piss you off.”

            “First of all, I need to tell Tifa to stop sharing my business with you. Second, you are a bitch for hiding these good-looking guys you claim to see at the clinic. I wasted my time with the stupid app!”

            She laughed. “I love you like a brother, Cloud. I know how you are. You go after the hot ones and most of them turn out to be jerks. Almost all of these men are married, or have extracurricular activities that force them to see us at the clinic. I don’t want you around them.”

            The blond silently smiled at her reply. She did him a favor. He was grateful for it because, again, he never would have met his current boyfriends. Both were attractive men _and_ didn’t treat him like shit. But when he seriously thought about it, he was two-timing both of them, when they were good people. So really, he wasn’t too different from his exes. Fuck.

            “Cloud? Cloud, get out of the sky!” she teased through his monologue.

            “Sorry, what did you say?”

            “I said I have to go. Thanks for finally reaching me! I feel a lot better.”

            “Anytime, Aerith. See you later.”

______________________________________________________________________________

            “Are you absolutely _sure_ that you want to go through with this plan?” Sephiroth asked for what felt like the millionth time as he ran his fingers through black strands.

            Zack sat next to him on the couch with his head on his lover’s shoulder. Both men barely paid attention to the actors on mounted tv screen. The volume was muted while they had a serious conversation about the text he sent to Sephiroth last night. “Yes, yes, and yes, Seph,” he closed his eyes and enjoyed the man playing with his hair.

            “We will be in Junon with two strangers that will most likely lead to sex. Are you okay with sharing me?”

            Blue eyes slowly opened, and he lifted his head to look at Sephiroth. “Are _you_ okay with sharing _me_?”

            His hand fell in his lap as he gazed back at him. “Answer my question first.”

            “I feel like you’re constantly asking me to reassure _yourself_ , instead of making sure _I’m_ okay…”

            He opened his mouth to protest, but closed it. “Hm. Perhaps.”

            “I know it’s been a while since we’ve done this after Denise, but we gotta get our feet wet again at some point if we want to remain polyamorous.”

            Sephiroth tensed at the name and turned his attention to the television. He thought after three plus years, he’d be over her by now. But the name alone left a bad taste in his mouth, similar to when his father’s name was uttered at the clinic every day of his work life. “…”

            Zack gripped his lover’s chin and turned him back to face him. The silver-haired man stifled his emotions with a blank face, but his eyes were quite easy to read after Zack mastered interpreting Sephiroth’s poker face. No matter how hard the man tried, his eyes always gave away what he truly felt. “You’re terrified that we will have a repeat of our last… fiasco,” he whispered.

            He hated and loved that Zack read him so well. He was the only person who could do it, hence why he never wanted them to separate. Zack was the only person so far who allowed him to drop his defenses and relax. “I sometimes wonder if we are moving too fast—out of eagerness, or the male sex drive, I do not know. However,” he grabbed Zack’s wrist and lowered the tan hand, “I haven’t been this attracted to another man since you. I’m following my instincts and moving this plan along for the sake of curiosity as well. But I’m concerned that if I speed things along, it will backfire.”

            The raven-haired man nodded. “We are moving a bit fast for my tastes. But you told me that Angeal and Genesis seemed decent enough to form a relationship, especially since they’ve been together since childhood, from what you told me. I think they won’t be a problem for us.”

            “Genesis told me that they had a few ups and downs as well.” Sephiroth idly laced his fingers with Zack as he thought back to his conversation with the professor. “He didn’t elaborate, but he stated that he understood when I told him that I needed your approval first.”

            “Whoa…” Zack’s eyes widened. “Most people don’t do that.”

            It was a surprise to Sephiroth as well. Genesis gave off selfish vibes, but for him to be patient with Zack earned him a few respect points. “He was excited when I told him of the plan and your approval. He looks forward to meeting you.” _Though, I think his sexual frustration from not sleeping with me had peaked because he was happier about my offer to first spend a week alone together._ “That’s why I want… to push forward.”

            He kissed the back of his lover’s hand. “Of course! I’m cool with it. And I hope you won’t let your insecurities get the best of you when Angeal and I show up.”

            Sephiroth scoffed. “I doubt it if I’m alone with Genesis. Once Angeal gives the green light, we are allowed to… ‘let loose’ as you like to put it.”

            Laughter erupted from Zack’s lips. “Don’t break the furniture, Seph!” They’ve done it before when they celebrated an anniversary at a luxurious hotel. Good thing Sephiroth made enough gil to cover damage costs.

            He chuckled and released the hand to kiss him on the forehead. “He may like it rough,” he whispered.

            “Mm,” Zack kissed him back, but on the lips. “That’s what I’m in the mood for actually.”

            “Oh?” Pale lips trailed down his lover’s jawline. He paused and nibbled at Zack’s neck. “Should I start here, or lower?” his voice was barely above a whisper.

            He moaned and angled his neck to give Sephiroth more access. “Mark the fuck out of me so I can wear them proudly in class tomorrow.”

            “Ah, but before I do that,” he licked tanned skin all the way to his earlobe, “I want you to promise me that you will tell Cloud everything before you come to Junon, or I will do it myself.”

            Zack gasped and pushed Sephiroth back, a bewildered expression on his face. “What?!”

            “You heard me.” His mouth formed a cruel smile.

            “ _How?_ ”

            “He’s an intern at Tuesti Industries, correct? My former secretary works there to be closer to her husband. I can ask her to give me his contact information.”

            His mouth fell open in shock. “Seph!”

            “Promise me, and I’ll give you what you want tonight.” He folded his arms across his chest.

            “That’s blackmail!”

            “I want us _all_ to be on the same page before we probably have this big… _party_ behind Cloud’s back.” Too bad the blond couldn’t come along. Sephiroth would give to see how he looked while pleasured. He sensed that the young engineer was a pillow biter. He closed his eyes and sighed. But Genesis agreed to the four of them for now. Once Zack informed Cloud, they could hopefully coax him to join their group.

            Letting out an exasperated sigh, the student hung his head in defeat and nodded.

            “I need a verbal response, Zack.”

            “YES!” he shouted while throwing his arms in the air. “I’ll do it. I’ll tell Cloud about you, and the others, and our trip to Junon.”

            His smile shortened to a smirk. “Good.” He crawled towards Zack until the raven-haired student laid flat on the couch. Sephiroth hovered over him, his silver hair trailing down the side of the couch. “Now, where should I start marking you?”

______________________________________________________________________________

 

            Genesis paced back and forth in the living room, wondering where the hell Angeal disappeared to. There was no note, or call, or any indication that he would still be gone. He called his boyfriend’s phone several times when he left Sephiroth’s place earlier this morning and returned to an empty townhome. All he got was the generic voicemail each time he tried to call back. The auburn-haired man left a threatening voice message, and even sent texts and emails. He thought about visiting Angeal’s school, but didn’t recall him mentioning any prep work for his class.

            Sephiroth asked Genesis to spend a week with him in Junon; followed by Angeal and Zack meeting them the weekend before they had to return to Midgar.

            Genesis almost had a heart attack after Sephiroth expressed his idea. He wanted to ride the man’s dick since their first date; but he thought Sephiroth’s cock-block continued until Genesis decided he had enough. But this… this was definitely not something he expected from the doctor.

            He needed Angeal’s approval before he missed out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! His patience wore thin as he anxiously waited for his partner’s return. Where the _fuck_ is he?!

           As if on cue, the door opened and Angeal stepped inside, taken aback by Genesis’s presence near the entryway.

           “What? I live here too!” the professor snapped.

           Oh boy, so Gen _did_ call him while he was at Cloud’s place. “Look, I’m sorry,” he began as he closed the door. Angeal stopped by the store to find a charger, but they no longer sold them because his phone was _that_ old. He will have to stop being stubborn and upgrade his phone, or check online for a refurbished back-up charger. In the meantime, he practiced his excuse several times in his head while he drove back home. “I was out at the wine festival with some colleagues, got drunk, and crashed at their place. My phone died sometime last night and I didn’t even realize it until this morning.”

           Genesis folded his arms across his chest and frowned. “You rarely get drunk.” Blue eyes roved over his body. “And you don’t look hungover.” In the past, a hungover Angeal involved lots of puking, dark circles around his eyes like a mall goth, and rumpled clothes. Though, his shirt was tucked out of his jeans as if he was in a hurry… “Who actually coaxed you into a drink, or more?”

          “Uh, Derek and his wife, Cecilia.” Wow, his lies came out before he even processed them.

           He leaned to the side, putting weight on one leg. “I don’t recognize those names.”

_Yeah, because they don’t exist._ “Well,” Angeal took off his shoes and placed them on the rack. “For starters, since you bailed out on me at the last minute, I called up whoever was available to go with me to the festival.” Now _that_ wasn’t a lie.

          Genesis rolled his eyes and waved the notion away. “Okay fine, I get you, but this is very unlike you to just disappear with a dead phone.”

          “I forgot to charge it before I left, so sue me,” Angeal snapped as he pulled out his phone and brushed past Genesis towards the stairs.

          The professor turned and gave him an ‘are-you-serious?’ look behind his partner’s back. “I need to talk to you.”

          The dark-haired man froze in place, not sure where this conversation headed. He had no time to plan _that_ far ahead in his web of lies. “Follow me upstairs then.”

          Both men were in the bedroom. Angeal changed out of his clothes and into a pair of pajama pants with no shirt. Genesis sat on the end of the bed and explained what Sephiroth told him while his lover moved around the room. Angeal plugged the charger on his phone and set it on the nightstand face-down.

         “Let me get this straight,” the chef began as he stood in front of Genesis. “Sephiroth wants you to spend a week with him in Junon. Then I join you the weekend my break starts? And this Zack person joins in as well?”

         The auburn-haired man nodded. “I was surprised at the offer, but I didn’t turn it down. Sephiroth and his boyfriend, Zack, agreed to it as well. We only need your permission.” _Please say yes and not make things difficult._

         Looking off to the side, Angeal sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Now he knew why Genesis was no longer angry when they entered the bedroom. His lover played the innocent card so he wouldn’t piss him off. Typical. “This is rather sudden, Gen. He’s politely asking for an orgy.”

        “Not… quite…”

        He gave him a skeptical look. “I know you’ve been wanting Sephiroth because you won’t shut up about him. And if you two fuck, you’ll expect me to do the same with this Zack person so no one is left out.” He honestly didn’t care if he sounded like a prick at the moment. “Why not just leave the vacation to the two of you and I can meet them another time?”

        Genesis’s eyebrows furrowed. “Do I really go on and on about Sephiroth when I’m not with him?”

        Angeal vigorously nodded. “Sorry, Gen, but it’s gotten to the point where I tune you out. I really don’t like this extreme fascination about a man I never met. I’m your diary at this point.”

        He opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Closing it, he stared at nothing in particular as he remembered when he did this with past relationships that led to a drama-filled clusterfuck. He talked about one man to another, and the other man got jealous and told a woman, and the woman spread rumors about his fascination with a new person in the group, and the game of telephone became a nightmare. “Oh…”

        Sighing, the dark-haired man sat on the bed next to him. He knew exactly what Gen thought about because he was there in the middle of the crossfire. “I want to be the voice of reason, not the voice of dissuasion. I don’t understand why I have to join on a mere weekend when it’s obvious that he wants you.”

        Genesis glanced at him. “Because Zack was fine with Sephiroth and me spending more time together. He also agreed to meet up in Junon on Friday with you, since your break is the week after mine. He wanted to meet me and also you, since you’re my partner.”

        He frowned. “Wait, isn’t Zack a law student at the university? If you and Zack are both on the university schedule, then why doesn’t he join you when you’re with Se—” he rubbed his forehead. “Gods, Gen, you guys are obvious about not leaving me out of this.” Why not just make it the three of them for simplicity sake? Why was Zack okay with waiting around while his boyfriend fucked Genesis during his entire Spring Break? And then spend a mere two days fucking complete strangers? This plan was completely… immature. “Are you sure Sephiroth, an intelligent man you always drone on and on about, planned this by himself?”

        He was angry. Angry that Angeal unnecessarily dragged this out for no fucking reason. “I told you before that Zack also has a new boyfriend who doesn’t know about his polyamorous lifestyle yet! Sephiroth is giving Zack time to talk to this person while I am with him in Junon. Zack was later coming on the weekend to tell us how it went and maybe, just maybe, we fuck afterwards!” He tossed his arms in the air. “That way, everyone is clear about all of us being a fivesome!” The professor’s arms fell in his lap and he stood. “At least he was considerate, Ange! Would you rather I just disappear with a dead phone and then come back saying that I forgot to call you because I was fucking his brains out the entire week without a Zack?”

       Giving him a look of disgust, mixed with anger and annoyance, Angeal let out a short sigh and shook his head. Yeah, so after that long ass rant, he was still the odd man out, all because his break wasn’t in sync with Genesis’s. Sephiroth had the luxury of taking a vacation, but _he_ was on a strict schedule with the culinary school. The dark-haired man closed his eyes and clenched his fists. He was not going to shout back at his lover. If both of them had a screaming match, then nothing will be solved. Genesis fed off of anger, and if Angeal yelled at him, he’d better have an escape plan before fists flew. “I am not going to have you stand here and throw my mistakes back at me,” he tersely replied. He stood and walked to the bathroom. “I’m taking a shower to cool off.” He didn’t wait for a response before he slammed the door.

       Genesis fumed at Angeal not coming to an agreement, but instead acted like Sephiroth invited him as an afterthought. He wanted to throw one of the vases at him, but decided  against it. It was an expensive gift that didn’t need to be wasted on a pissy boyfriend.

       But the look of _guilt_ on the man’s face when Genesis pointed out Angeal’s out of character demeanor told him something else happened. Angeal wouldn’t look guilty, but _apologetic_ that he made an error.

_“I am not going to have you stand here and throw my mistakes back at me.”_

       Sucking the inside of his jaw, he slowly turned to the nightstand. The cellphone pinged several times now that it had enough juice to send out notifications. Genesis thought he left only a couple of hate messages, not a fucking movie script. Glancing at the bathroom door again, he then strode around the bed towards the phone and lifted it, glancing at the screen. He saw his name and part of his texts show up at the very top of the notifications, but as he scrolled down…

           Tifa Lockhart called him several times and left six voice messages. Curious, he unlocked Angeal’s phone to listen to them. He knew the passcode after a drive to Kalm one year. Angeal needed him to look up a contact and told him that the code was Genesis’s birthday. Since the man still hadn’t updated his phone since the smartphone business boomed, he knew the man never changed his passcode.

_“Hi, Angeal! This is Aerith, Tifa’s girlfriend! Thank you for driving us home, but unfortunately it seems that I left my keys in your car! Please, please, please pick up so I can get them back ASAP!”_

           Genesis slowly glanced at the bathroom door again with narrowed eyes. Her name wasn’t Cecilia.

           The other messages were the same from Aerith. Apparently Tifa was too hungover to make the call. The professor was familiar with Tifa’s name because Angeal raved about his best students.

            Why? Why did Angeal lie? Tifa was a lesbian, last he remembered. He wasn’t sure about this Aerith girl, but if she’s Tifa’s girlfriend, he was positive that the two were not polyamorous, considering that Tifa probably would never sleep with her instructor.

            But you never know these days. Alcohol can do wonders on the human mind.

            _Where_ did Angeal go after he dropped them off? He wasn’t drunk like he stated earlier, meaning that something else happened.

            _“Hi Angeal! Aerith again after the umpteenth time! I cannot reach Cloud either so I’m calling you again. I am not sure if you guys are still hanging out but I really need my keys back!”_

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, he wanted to crush the phone. His lover hung out with someone named Cloud, not Derek.

            And as Genesis scrolled past the missed calls from Tifa’s number, he came across two voicemails from that Cloud person. They were left around eleven in the morning, right when Genesis came home to no car in the garage.

            He held the phone to his ear, glaring holes at the bathroom door while listening to the messages.

            _Hey, Angeal, it’s Cloud. Aerith called to tell me that her keys were left in your car. If only I checked my phone before you left just now, because she blew up my phone as well. If you get this message, I can meet you somewhere to get them from you. She needs them by tonight because her job keys are on the clip._

            ‘Before you left just now.’ Cloud sounded young. Angeal did go for the twink types. Genesis had a hunch he was blond. Trying not to barge in the bathroom with a knife, the professor’s hand shook with rage while he still kept the phone to his ear.

            _Oh, and uh, I’d like to meet up again soon. I hope I didn’t anger you because you seemed off when you left. If I was the cause of your anger, I’m sorry. We can chat at the Lakefront again if you’d like. Talk to y—_

Genesis stopped the voicemail and reared his arm back, his force breaking the cord from the phone, and almost threw the phone at the bathroom door. He saw red in his blurred vision, and was ready to go on a murdering spree. Angeal fucking lied to him since he went to the Lakefront that night! He didn’t hang out with colleagues, but this little twinkie named Cloud! Now he fucking understood what Charles meant that night.

_“Mr. Hewley was here last night with someone; though, he looked more like his student than a peer.”_

           “How could I have been so _stupid?!”_ He threw the phone on the bed.

            Genesis trusted Angeal with his _life_. After all they’ve been through together, after all the fallouts and close calls they suffered together, _this_ was how Angeal continued things? They were right back to a decade ago: not communicating, fucking everyone they could get their hands on, getting caught in _pregnancy scares_ since Angeal was bisexual and had a thing for blonde women.

            Did the therapy help _at all_?

           Chewing on his thumbnail, he thought how to approach this. He was angry as hell, but he didn’t want this shit to ruin his moment with Sephiroth. He needed a plan—a plan to get back at Angeal for lying to him this whole time without involving Zack and Sephiroth.

           He perked up when an idea came to his head. A cruel smile appeared on his face as he stared at the phone on the bed. This will be petty, but when was he _not_?

           Copying Cloud’s number to his phone, he plugged Angeal’s phone back and left the bedroom. Still dressed in his casual clothes, he grabbed Angeal’s keys and left the townhome, unlocking the car with the sensor and opened the back door.

           There, on the floor of the car, were the keys that this Aerith person desperately needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So sorry about the delay. School is occupying a LOT of my time and I've been daydreaming about this story since like January.... Gomen. I had a quarter of this chapter written about six months ago, but I developed writer's block, and then grad school......................... I had to abandon this fic while I got my life together. I hope this is still consistent because I refuse to re-read my terrible writing. I managed to type this out in my lab office while hiding from a family member LOL. Thanks for being patient and have a good holiday season because I sure am not!!!!


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